Miracles Unbound
by MyImmortal329
Summary: Sequel to "Blessed." Michaela gives Sully some exciting news while Robert E. and Grace ponder adoption.
1. New Friends

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. The rights to those characters and to the show belong to the creators of the show, to CBS, The Sullivan Company and to A&E. This is the sequel to "Blessed."

Miracles Unbound 

**Chapter 1: New Friends**

April brought many new changes to the town of Colorado Springs. The railroad had decided to start building through their tiny town, much to the chagrin of Sully. Michaela had been all for the construction of the railroad because of the benefits it could bring, but Sully had been opposed due to what it would do to the Cheyenne's food supply and land. Michaela understood why Sully was angry about the railroad coming, but she also had to explain to him that a train could bring medical supplies faster and help their town grow.

There had been quite a quarrel at the Sully homestead, but things were quieting down. Even though Michaela and Sully still couldn't agree on the railroad, they had agreed to disagree. Within the matter of a year, the first train to come through Colorado Springs would be rolling in. It was exciting to most of the townsfolk, and the very few that opposed, besides Sully, kept quiet so a feud wouldn't begin.

Cloud Dancing and Snow Bird had arranged meetings with Michaela and Sully in order for Early Sun to play with Connor and Daniel. Early Sun was thriving and seemed to be growing bigger by the day. Something struck Michaela each time she saw the little girl, and she knew it was her own desire to have another child, perhaps a daughter.

Colleen and Brian had already started talking about having a new baby around the house. While Michaela and Sully still said it was too early, both of them were starting to think it might be fun to have a newborn baby around again. They were both still very young and could withstand the constant early morning feedings and diaper changes.

Sully finally had a job to earn some sort of an income. He hadn't wanted to do it, but Michaela had insisted that perhaps it would be good for him if he had something to do other than to check his traps and watch the children all day. So, he had taken up a job offer given to him by President Grant himself. The officials in Washington had gotten word of Sully's dealings with the Indians and the white men, and after a few telegrams sent back and forth, Sully agreed to become the Indian Agent, making sure that the Cheyenne were treated fairly by the army and such. Unfortunately, the job was a bit more difficult than Michaela had anticipated. She was beginning to see why Sully had been uncertain about taking the job. He had to report to his boss named Hazen, and unfortunately the unfair treatment of the Indians wasn't being changed no matter how hard Sully tried.

Sully had been on the verge of quitting for the past week or so, but he was trying to stick it out for the sake of his family. They were so proud of him for doing this for the Cheyenne, and it also made him feel good that he was at least trying. At least now his words could have some sort of an impact, regardless of whether or not they fell on deaf ears.

Having Sully away at the reservation for most of the day caused changes in plans for Michaela and the children. For instance, the children would now take their old wagon into town to go to school after waking Michaela up in time to eat, get herself and the boys ready, and head into town. They would also make sure to be home right after school to help with the chores, since Sully wasn't around to do them all day.

Thankfully Grace and Robert E. were beginning to work through the grief caused by the loss of their daughter, and they even took the liberty to help watch the seven-month-old boys while Michaela had appointments or emergency surgeries with some of her patients.

The boys were beginning to become the center of attention when the ladies were around. Dorothy, Grace, and Myra would fuss over them, and even Miss Olive had taken to Charlotte's children's little brothers. Yes, Miss Olive was quite a character, but she and Michaela had somehow managed to become friendly toward one another. Sully wasn't sure what happened, but he was sure that it started a couple of weeks ago when Brian fell from a horse he'd been trying to ride on Olive's ranch, nearly breaking his arm. Michaela had yelled at her for a bit about that, but once Olive explained what had happened, Michaela had calmed down enough for them to actually have a civil conversation. It wasn't as if they were best friends or anything, but the two of them could at least spend five minutes together without quarrelling.

Michaela was sitting on the bench outside of the clinic, reading one of her medical books. She had been sitting inside, but she'd felt warm and decided to get a breath of fresh air. Connor and Daniel were inside napping while Colleen, Brian, and Matthew were at school. Pup was lazily stretched out on the porch of the clinic, waiting for Brian to return from school so they could go fishing or something. Sully had been at the reservation since before Michaela woke up, and she knew he'd be returning early today. Hopefully they would have a bit of alone time before the children got home from school.

The sound of a wagon rolling into town attracted Michaela's attention, and she looked up to see a young man and woman riding side-by-side in a rickety old wagon.

"We're lookin' for the doctor," the young man said quickly. "We ain't from 'round these parts."

"I'm a doctor," Michaela replied. The man tipped his hat to her and helped his wife out of the wagon. She stood on one foot, keeping the other one hovering above the ground.

"We just moved in from Soda Springs. We was takin' a rest, and my wife here took a spill from the wagon."

"I can talk for myself, Clayton," she replied, shaking her head a bit. It was obvious they hadn't been married for very long.

"Sorry Jenny," he replied quietly. Jenny smiled at Michaela.

"Doctor . . ."

"Dr. Quinn," Michaela replied, "but if you're planning on staying long, you might as well call me Dr. Mike. Everyone else does."

"I'm Jenny Baker," the young woman replied with a warm smile. "This is my husband Clayton."

"It's nice to meet you both. Clayton, if you'll help your wife into my clinic, I'll be in with you shortly." Clayton tipped his hat again, and the young man helped his wife into the clinic. Michaela smiled as she watched how careful and loving he was with her. Jenny looked at him with adoration in her eyes, and their love toward one another reminded Michaela of the way she felt about Sully.

She started toward the door, and a wave of nausea passed over her, causing her to become a bit dizzy. She gripped the doorknob for support, and Clayton Baker looked at her with a funny expression upon his face.

"Doc? Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yes. Yes, I'm fine," she replied with a forced smile. "I'll be right with you." She walked inside and shut the door. She went into the other room to check on her sons and to pour a glass of water. She drank it down quickly, trying to calm her stomach. She hoped she could make it through her examination of Jenny's foot before the nausea became too bad.

She put on her apron and walked into the exam room. Jenny's foot was a bit swollen and bruised, so she had removed her shoe and it was sitting plainly in her lap. Michaela began a tender examination of it. Clayton was holding Jenny's hand the entire time.

"You're in luck, Jenny. It's just a mild sprain. Nothing appears to be broken."

"Oh that's a relief," she replied. "I'd hate to start out on a new foot by breakin' it." Michaela laughed and began to wrap her foot up.

"You'll need to keep pressure off of it for a few days, but it should be fine by the end of the week.

"Thank you, Dr. Mike. What do we owe ya?" Clayton asked.

"Join my family for dinner this evening."

"That's it?" Jenny asked.

"Why not?" Michaela asked. She proceeded to give them directions, which they made careful mental notes of. She smiled, and Jenny looked at her husband. It was already obvious that Colorado Springs was going to be much better for them than Soda Springs.

Michaela watched the young couple leave to find their new home, and once they were gone, she closed the door behind her. She felt nauseated again, and put her hand to her forehead while she leaned against the door.

She slowly walked over to sit down at her desk. She had begun to keep a record of her monthly awhile back, and once she opened up her notepad, she realized that she was in fact two weeks overdue.

"Okay, I must have miscalculated," Michaela whispered to herself. "That's it." She nodded and began to count again. Sure enough, she was two weeks late. She hadn't paid much attention to her monthly, because she'd had other things on her mind with her father's recent passing. This had basically snuck up on her without any warning at all. Now she was suddenly getting the warning signs and everything. "I can't be. Can I?"

She hadn't expected this, and it was possible that she wasn't pregnant. This could just be a coincidence, but somehow, she felt it was true. She was feeling the same way she felt with Connor and Daniel. She sucked in a deep breath and closed her eyes. She stood and walked over to splash some cold water in her face. She was sure of it. She was pregnant. Now how was she going to tell Sully?

Matthew was upstairs working on an application to a college in Denver. He had locked himself upstairs as soon as he got home from school, and now that the children were home, Michaela was concerned because Sully hadn't arrived home from the reservation yet. He was supposed to be finished early. Perhaps he'd lost track of time or something important came up.

Brian was upstairs working on an essay, and Colleen was out in the barn milking the cow. Connor and Daniel had been fed and gone right to sleep afterward, much to Michaela's pleasure. She had told Colleen that there would be dinner guests that evening, so they would be starting dinner together within the hour. Michaela was proud of herself. She had been making great strides in her limited cooking abilities, and she knew that was a good thing considering the fact that Colleen wouldn't be around to do all of the cooking forever.

Michaela walked over to the window to look out over the land. Storm clouds were rolling in, so she prayed that Sully would get home before the rain started. She had given her situation serious thought throughout the day, and she was more than convinced that she was with child. She had to let Sully know. If she wasn't very certain, she would stay quiet about it, but she was quite certain; certain enough that he needed to know.

The sound of a horse approaching let Michaela know Sully was home. She also figured that with a storm coming in, the Claytons wouldn't be able to make it. Perhaps tomorrow would be more convenient.

When Sully took his horse into the barn, Michaela began to wonder exactly how to tell him. She didn't know what his reaction was going to be, considering the fact they were trying to wait for a little while before having another one. Apparently that wasn't going to be the case anymore. So what was she to do? Should she sit him down and tell him in a serious manner, or should she just blurt it out in the middle of an ordinary conversation? Yes! That was what she would do. That way he wouldn't have to worry when Michaela told him that there was something serious to discuss.

The front door opened, and Sully walked inside. He smiled when he saw his beautiful wife standing by the window. Her hair was down and curled. She looked like such a heavenly sight after being at the reservation for several hours that afternoon. He was glad that work was over for the day, and he could spend the rest of the evening in the company of his family.

"Evenin'," Sully said with a smile, walking over to greet her with a kiss. Michaela pulled Sully close to her, kissing him passionately. She caught him off guard, and when they pulled away, he took a quick breath to recover.

"Good evening," she replied. She took his hand in hers and laced her fingers through his.

"What's goin' on?"

"Oh, nothing," she replied. "Oh, I met some new people today. Jenny and Clayton Baker are from Soda Springs, and they're settling down here. They're young and married, but very much in love. I treated Jenny for a sprained ankle." Michaela was talking quickly, and Sully had to wait for her to pause so he could catch up. "I invited them to dinner, but I don't think they will make it this evening with this weather."

"Well, I'll meet 'em some other time. They sound like nice folks."

"Yes, they're very nice. What did you do today?" Sully proceeded to tell his wife what he had done during the course of the day. She felt guilty that she wasn't really paying attention. She was more or less stalling in order to think of a way to slip in the fact that they would have another child around Christmas. Sully noticed his wife's lack of interest.

"Michaela?"

"Hmm?" she asked with wide eyes.

"Somethin' wrong?"

"No," she replied. Sully nodded slowly.

"It's quiet," Sully said with a chuckle, looking around for signs of the kids.

"Oh, um, Colleen is out milking the cow. She'll be in shortly to help me prepare dinner. Brian's upstairs writing an essay, and the twins are sleeping. By the way, I'm pregnant. Matthew's upstairs filling out a college application, and dinner should be on the stove in an hour." Michaela crossed her arms and looked at the floor, sucking in a breath after having said that entire speech in one breath. Sully stared at Michaela as he tried to register everything she just said. It was all playing slowly in Sully's mind. Michaela finally got up the courage to look him in the eyes. A look of realization came over Sully's face and his eyes went wide.

"Michaela? What did you say?"

"Which part?"

"The part after you said the twins are sleepin'."

"Oh, that? Um, I said I'm . . . pregnant," she said softly, biting her bottom lip nervously.

"Pregnant?" he asked, his eyes moving to her stomach. "As in we're having another baby, pregnant?"

"That's usually what pregnant means," Michaela pointed out. A smile slowly began to creep across Sully's face.

"You're sure?"

"Pretty sure. I'm having the same symptoms, and my monthly is two weeks late."

"But this has happened before," Sully replied. Michaela shook her head.

"I haven't felt like this since I was expecting the boys. I'm sure of it, Sully," she whispered, reaching out to stroke his cheek with her hand. "I wasn't sure how to tell you."

"How long have you known?"

"I became suspicious this afternoon," she admitted.

"A baby?" he asked again.

"Yes," Michaela replied, allowing herself to smile now as well.

"When?"

"Around Christmas, I'm assuming." Sully swallowed hard and scooped Michaela up into his arms.

"Sully!" she exclaimed with a laugh. Sully kissed her lovingly, and finally put her down.

"I know we said we wanted to wait, but honestly I've been wantin' this."

"Honestly, so have I," Michaela said with a laugh.

"Do the kids no yet?"

"No, I thought we'd tell them together." Sully nodded. He kissed her again.

"A baby?!" Michaela laughed again and nodded. Thunder rumbled, followed by lightning, and Michaela looked out the window.

"Could you go out to the barn and tell Colleen to come inside?"

"Yeah. You sit down and relax. I'll help Colleen with dinner."

"Sully, I'm perfectly capable--."

"Ah," Sully cut her off. "I want the mother of my child to take the night off. You deserve it." Michaela saw that look in his eyes again, the same look she saw when she was expecting the boys. She bit her bottom lip again and sat down in one of the winged-back chairs. She watched as Sully hurried out the door with an extra skip in his steps. She shook her head and knew that Sully was happy. She was thrilled as well, though a bit nervous, but she knew they could do anything, because they were strong when apart, but stronger when they were together.

The table had been set, and Sully explained to Colleen that Michaela had had a long day, and he didn't want her to over do it. Colleen seemed to understand and was happy to fix dinner by herself.

Connor and Daniel were sitting in high chairs, eating the whipped potatoes Colleen had prepared for them, while Michaela and Sully sat across from one another, stealing glances and grins every few minutes. Matthew was busy inhaling his dinner, Brian was poking around at the potatoes on his plate, and Colleen was running her finger along the rim of her milk glass.

The storm was beginning to pass, but Michaela wasn't expecting her invited guests to show up at all. She figured she would see them soon anyway.

Wolf began to whine at the door, and Pup soon joined him. Brian got up to let the dogs out. Sully looked at Michaela, who hadn't touched much of her food. She didn't exactly feel like eating, and at the same time, she was deliriously happy.

"Ma? You feelin' alright?" Matthew asked after taking a sip of milk.

"Hmm? Oh, yes," Michaela replied, inhaling deeply. The aroma of one of the foods was a bit too much for her, and her face turned pale instantly. "Um, excuse me." She quickly stood and made a mad dash to the indoor toilet. The children all looked at Sully as they heard Michaela's sounds of discomfort. Sully wiped his mouth with a napkin and stood. He walked over and knocked on the door.

"Michaela?"

"Just a minute," she replied hoarsely. Matthew, Colleen, and Brian exchanged glances just as Michaela returned at Sully's side.

"You okay, ma?" Brian asked. Michaela nodded and sat back down in her seat. Sully took his seat too, and the children continued to stare.

"Sully, I believe we better tell them." Sully nodded and cleared his throat. "You do the honors," she insisted.

"Well," Sully replied. All eyes turned to him. "What would you kids think about havin' another brother or a sister 'round the house."

"You mean, ma's havin' another baby?" Matthew asked quickly.

"Yes," Michaela confirmed. Colleen practically leapt out of her seat to hug her mother. The children grew excited and immediately began to argue over whether or not it was a boy or a girl. The whole time, Michaela and Sully's eyes fixed on one another as if silently telling each other that this was going to be just another blessing to count each and every day for the rest of their lives.

Mary Bing sighed as she sat on the small bed in the room attached to the telegraph office. She was so happy that Horace had adopted her, because now she had a pa to take care of her. But she was missing something. She missed her mother terribly, but she also missed the relationship she'd formed with her. She wanted that again, and she was beginning to wonder whether or not Horace would ever find a wife and give her a stepmother.

The clicking of the telegraph sounded, and Mary sighed. Her father spent most of his day sitting there doing his job. Unfortunately he was on-call all day and night, and had to keep an ear out for the signs of an important telegram. Any telegram sent at night was sure to be very important.

Mary wanted desperately to outside and play, but the storm hadn't quite passed yet, and Horace warned her that she had to stay inside so she wouldn't catch a cold or get struck by lightning. Sometimes Horace was a bit over protective, but that was better than when she was on the orphan train, and being protected was a luxury.

She slowly stood from the bed and walked out to see her father after all of the clicking had stopped. She stood behind his chair as he wrote something that looked important down. Once he was finished, she reached out and tapped his back.

"Pa?" Horace turned around and smiled when he saw Holly's little girl; his little girl.

"What is it, honey?"

"When are you gonna get married?" Horace felt his heart start to break.

"What?"

"When am I gonna get a ma?"

"Mary, I don't think that's somethin' we should be discussin'."

"But, why not?"

"Mary, your ma hasn't been gone too long at all, so it ain't fittin'."

"Ma wouldn't have wanted us to be sad," Mary explained. "I miss her, but I want a ma to do things with like Colleen does with Dr. Mike." Horace sighed and took Mary's little hands in his. He didn't have the heart to tell her that even if he did find love again, he couldn't be sure if a woman would want a child of Mary's color as a stepdaughter. He didn't want to even think of moving on after Holly just yet. She'd been the light of his life until the day she died. Now the only light he had was that of little Mary.

"I've got work to do. Go play with your doll," Horace said softly, kissing his daughter's forehead. Mary sighed heavily and went back to her place on the bed. She pulled open her locket to look at the picture of her real mother and father. She wished she could meet her real father, but he was gone now. Horace was a good father too, though he was busy a lot. But nothing could fill the void in her heart that had appeared the day Holly died.

A tear trickled down the eleven-year-old's face. She had just celebrated a birthday without her mother, and that hurt so much. She wished she could have had one birthday with her, but she hadn't even gotten that.

Mary silently pulled a shawl over her shoulders and snuck out the back door. She rushed down the muddy street as the rain gently sprinkled down into the dirt. The edge of her skirt was getting muddy, but she didn't care right now. She had to see her mother.

She stopped when she reached the gate of the cemetery. She slowly walked inside and stood at her mother's grave. She tenderly traced over the letters spelling out her name.

"Mama, I don't know if you can hear me. I miss you. Pa is real sad, and I want us all to be happy again. I want to have a ma again. She'll never replace you, but I need a ma. I don't wanna make you sad, so maybe one day, you can pick out a new ma for me, one you think is good enough for me and pa. I love you so much. I miss you ma." She kissed her fingertips and placed them against the headstone.

"What are you doin'?" came a young voice from behind. Mary gasped and spun around, coming face to face with a boy of about her age. His skin was a little darker than hers, and she knew who he was right away.

"Anthony?!" she asked.

"Mary?"

"Yeah!" she exclaimed. She rushed over to him and threw her arms around his neck. They clung to one another, happy to see someone they knew. "What are you doin' here?"

"I ran away from home."

"But you were on the orphan train with me."

"Yeah, but once we left here, I ran away. I was stayin' with some folks in Shanty Town up until early this mornin'."

"You ran away? But, where are ya gonna stay?"

"I dunno. I s'pose I'll keep movin' on." Mary shook her head.

"You come home with me. My pa's real nice." Anthony drew away.

"No! Nobody can see me or they'll send me back to the orphanage. Promise me you won't say nothin'!" Mary was silent, not sure of what to do. "Promise!" Mary sighed heavily.

"I promise," she whispered. "Where are ya stayin'?"

"I don't know. I'll meet you tomorrow."  
"I got school tomorrow."

"Behind the school house when you're done?"

"Alright," she replied. She hugged her friend again. "Are ya hungry?"

"Nah," he replied. "You best go home. It's gonna be real dark soon." Mary nodded again, not wanting to leave her friend, but knowing she had to get home before Horace got worried. Anthony ran off to hide, and Mary watched him for a few moments before she started off toward the telegraph office, hoping her friend would be alright.

Grace was fixing stew on the stove at home considering the fact that the storm had ruined business for the day. Robert E. was whittling away at a piece of wood, throwing the shavings into the fireplace.

Grace smiled when she looked at him. He had been so wonderful lately, helping her when she needed him to be there for her. They had started to lean on one another, and by doing so, they had started healing.

Robert E.'s lazy dog was sprawled out in front of the fireplace with his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth as he slept. Grace laughed at the way the dog was laying. He kind of slept like Robert E. slept. Robert E. noticed a grin spreading across Grace's face.

"What?" he asked with an amused twinkle in his eye.

"Nothin'," Grace laughed.

"C'mon. Tell me," he replied. Grace finished stirring the stew and sat down in a chair next to Robert E.'s place on the floor.

"I was just think' 'bout how that dog of yours seems to have picked up your sleepin' style."

"I don't sleep like that," Robert E. said with a laugh.

"Well, you're right. You don't keep your tongue out like that, but the rest is pretty much true." Robert E. rolled his eyes and Grace laughed. It felt good to laugh!

A crash startled them from their laughter, and Robert E. jumped up to look out of the window.

"What on earth was that?"

"Sounded like it came from the livery. I'm gonna go check it out." He grabbed his rifle and a lantern and started for the door.

"Be careful!" Grace shouted after him. He shut the door and started over to the livery. Grace stood by the window and watched him, hoping that the wind had just blown something down. She knew Robert E. would be careful, but accidents happened.

She sighed heavily and walked over to the stove to stir the stew again. It had been simmering for a few minutes, so she turned the heat off and set the pot to the side as she started to dip the stew into bowls. She set the table and poured milk into glasses to wash it down with.

Robert E. still hadn't returned after five minutes, and Grace was becoming even more concerned. She was about to start out the door when it opened. Robert E. came through holding a young colored boy by the back of the coat collar.

"I found him at the livery, sleepin' in the hay." Grace looked at the young boy.

"Why, he can't be more than ten or eleven years old. What's your name, boy?" she asked softly. He hesitated. "Don't worry. We ain't gonna bite ya."

"Anthony," he whispered.

"What?"

"Anthony," he spoke up.

"What were you doin' sleepin' in my livery, son?" Robert E. asked the boy, kneeling down beside him. The boy looked from Robert E. to Grace nervously. He started to run for the door, but Robert E. caught him. Grace knelt down beside her husband and put her hand on the young boy's shoulder.

"Don't be afraid," she whispered. "We ain't gonna hurt ya, Anthony." The boy was trembling with fright.

"Grace, can I talk to ya for a minute?" Grace nodded, and she and Robert E. stepped to the side a little. "Maybe we can let him stay here for the night. In the mornin', we can take him to Shanty Town, see if he belongs to anyone there."

"No!" Anthony interrupted, having heard Robert E. speak of Shanty Town. Grace and Robert E. looked back at the boy. "I don't wanna go back! Please don't send me back!" Grace looked at her husband.

"He's scared," she whispered. "Let's just let him stay here for awhile and find out where he came from. We'll ask around." Robert E. nodded. "I'll go get the bed upstairs ready." She started up the stairs, and Robert E. looked at the boy.

"Here, Anthony, you sit down right here and grab a spoon. Grace is the best cook in Colorado Springs." He passed the boy a bowl of stew.

"Thank you, sir," he replied. Robert E. smiled and watched as the boy began to eat hungrily. When Grace returned downstairs, she and Robert E. sat down to eat with him, trying to get him to talk about where he came from, but the most Anthony would tell them was that he didn't want to go back.


	2. Helping Out

**Chapter 2: Helping Out**

A storm was brewing again, and Sully couldn't sleep. Michaela had fallen right to sleep after she and Sully celebrated the fact that they were adding to their family. Michaela was sleeping with a smile upon her face, and it warmed Sully's heart to see his wife so happy.

Thunder boomed, rattling the house and causing Wolf and Pup to start barking outside. Michaela sat up in bed as if she'd been struck by lightning. Sully sat up beside her, and she caught her breath.

"You okay?"

"Mmm," she answered with a nod. Lightning flashed in the sky, and Michaela sunk back down onto her pillow. Sully leaned back and rested on his side so he could look at Michaela. She turned to her side and smiled at him as his fingers laced with hers. The way Sully was looking at her made her feel as if she was going to melt into a puddle. His eyes stared into hers and his free hand moved under the covers to gently stroke her belly. She smiled as he leaned in to kiss her. "What are you thinking about, Sully?"

"Just thinkin' 'bout how beautiful you are." Michaela laughed against Sully's lips and shook her head. "You won't be saying that for too much longer."

"'Course I will. It ain't been too long since ya were carryin' the boys. Don't ya remember how beautiful I told ya you looked everyday? You are always beautiful to me, no matter what. This time ain't gonna be no different." Michaela propped herself up against the headboard of the bed. Sully sat up beside her and studied her face. She exposed her belly and covered Sully's hand with her own.

"What do you think?"

"About what?"

"The baby? Do you think it's a boy or a girl?" Sully gently moved his hand over her belly, and she smiled, enjoying the pride in his face.

"I got a feelin' we're gonna have our hands full," he replied.

"Oh, so it'll be a boy," Michaela said with a laugh.

"A girl can be a handful too," Sully pointed out. "'Specially if she's like her ma."

"Oh, have you looked at our boys recently? They're just like you." Sully shook his head and leaned in to kiss his wife.

"I think it'll be two girls," he said with a wink.

"What makes you think that?!" she asked curiously. She wasn't quite sure what the odds were that she would have another set of twins.

"I dunno. It's just a feelin'." Michaela's hand moved to Sully's cheek, and she caressed it gently.

"Well, I suppose we'll have to wait," she replied. "What gives you that feeling, if I may ask?" Sully smiled and ran his finger along Michaela's jaw line.

"I guess I just figure that those boys of our are gonna need to little girls to fight with." Michaela laughed and bit her bottom lip.

"I still can't believe it, Sully. I honestly never believed it would happen again so quickly. Now that it has, I feel like this was meant to be. I feel so wonderful, Sully." He took her hand in his and kissed it softly.

"Me too. You've made me the happiest man in the world, you know that?" They were now both silent now, staring into one another's eyes. Michaela's heart began to pound as Sully's hand slid down her belly and across her outer thigh. She smiled knowingly as his eyes began to roam across her naked form.

Michaela stood from the bed, leaving Sully staring after her. She walked across the room, the firelight highlighting her magnificent body. Sully slowly drew back the covers on the bed and stood. Michaela stood in front of the floor-length mirror with her hand placed on her belly. It still seemed hard to believe that she was going to have another baby. Just seven months ago, she had given birth to the two most amazing babies, and now another was on its way. She wanted a daughter so badly, but she would still be happy with another son. The thing was that she had four sons now and only one daughter. It would be nice to have a child she could dress for church in those sweet little dresses, curl her hair and put it up in ribbons.

Sully slowly strode across the room, hiding his naked form behind his wife's. She closed her eyes as he moved her hair away from her neck, kissing the sensitive skin that always made her entire body tingle when Sully kissed her there. Sully's actions elicited a moan from the back of Michaela's throat. She turned around in his arms, and looked up into his eyes. He gave her a seductive smile as his mouth met hers in a tantalizing kiss. His hot breath on her lips caused her to shudder from anticipation, and he moved to his knees, trailing his lips and tongue down her body as he went. When he was on her knees, he pressed a kiss to her belly, and her fingers moved to run through his hair.

"Michaela," he whispered, his eyes locking on her gaze as his hand traveled up her leg, grazed against her thigh, and slowly parted her legs. Michaela felt her knees growing weak as Sully touched her; entered her with his fingers. She gripped his shoulders, and he gently helped her onto the floor on the rug before the fireplace. Feeling bold, Michaela put her hands upon Sully's chest, and gently pushed him backward, ignoring the passionate fire Sully had nearly started between her legs. Sully was now pressed against the floor with Michaela peering down at him. She straddled him, putting one knee on either side of his hips. She bent down, capturing his lips with her own and running her hands down his chest, caressing his sides with the tips of her fingers.

Feeling Michaela's fingers against his skin sent sparks of passion throughout Sully's body. His arousal for her began to grow, and Michaela could feel it against her thigh. She smiled against Sully's lips, and gently broke away, moving down to kiss his neck. His hands moved up to run through her hair, causing Michaela to tremble at his touch. Sully craned his neck to kiss the flesh between her breasts before he took a nipple into his mouth, biting it ever so gently. His tongue gently massaged it before he broke away and did the same to her other breast. Michaela tilted her head back, enjoying the feeling of her husband's mouth on her body. She moaned again, but pulled back to give him the same sweet torture he just given her. She ran her thumb along his nipple first before she captured it with her mouth. She looked up at him to find him staring at her with obvious intentions in his gaze.

Michaela moved up to kiss his lips again, and his tongue parted her passion-inflamed lips to explore her mouth. Their mouths, lips and tongues danced in the timeless rhythm of a lover's kiss.

Sully took the moment as an opportunity to turn Michaela onto her back. He straddled her as she had done for him earlier. His heart was pounding faster and faster, and her hands were roaming down his chest to caress his inner thighs, just barely avoiding his arousal. Sully swallowed hard, gazing down at his beautiful wife. Her breasts heaved with her heavy, quick breaths, and his mouth began to water even more. Michaela smiled as Sully linked their hands together and began to kiss her neck.

Michaela lifted her arms above her head so that Sully was stretched out above her, his hands still linked with hers. His hands slowly untangled themselves from hers, and moved down to caress her shoulders and the sides of her breasts.

"I love you so much," he whispered as he stared into her eyes.

"I love you," she responded, her hands moving to his back to bring him down to her. Sully tucked one arm underneath her to pull her up as he entered her in one swift movement. Michaela gasped in pleasure, and pumped her hips to bring Sully inside of her as far as they could both reach. Michaela's head rested on the rug on the floor as Sully pulled himself up enough so that he wasn't pressing his weight on Michaela's tummy. He began to move within her, taking long, slow strides, causing her to arch her back and moan his name. His hands moved to press on the floor on either side of Michaela's head. Her hands massaged his chest as he began to quicken his pace. "Sully!" The passion between them grew to new heights as Michaela felt herself coming over the edge.

Waves of pleasure rippled throughout her body from her head to her toes as her center throbbed for more attention. Sully's hand gently moved to ease the tension she was feeling in her center, and as he did so, he felt himself about to come over the edge.

Michaela gently pushed him onto his back as they continued to make love. Her hands rested on his chest as he continued to thrust in and out of her. She met his thrusts with the thrusts of her own hips until neither one of them could feel anything but pleasure.

Sully suddenly began to hesitate, and Michaela knew why. They were joined as one now, and it seemed as if Michaela could tell what he was thinking.

"You don't have to be careful," she panted. "I'm not going to break. You won't hurt me or the baby." She bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes tightly as another euphoric wave washed through her, giving her new energy. She kissed her husband reassuringly, caressing his face with her fingers as he tried his best to hold onto control.

Sully eased her onto her back with those words ringing in his ears. He continued making love to his wife, trying not to hold back, trying to assure himself that she wasn't a china doll that could break ever so easily.

Awhile later, Sully and Michaela were lying on the floor as a mass of tangled and sweaty limbs. Sully pulled Michaela up, and they walked over to the bed silently, climbed under the covers, and became wrapped in each other's arms. Sully's hand gently stroked up and down Michaela's arm as they kissed softly, both content and extremely sated from their lovemaking.

Michaela felt herself becoming very tired, and kissed Sully once more before closing her eyes.

"You're so beautiful," Sully whispered as she slipped into a deep, peaceful sleep. Sully watched her sleep for a little while, his hand rested securely on her flat tummy, before finally falling asleep feeling like the luckiest man in the world.

In the morning, Michaela woke to the sound of children laughing downstairs. She smiled as she sat up in bed. Sully was still sleeping for a change. He didn't have to go to the reservation until later that afternoon, which meant that he would be home late.

She decided to let him sleep in and gently pressed a kiss to his forehead before climbing out of bed. She was up a few minutes early, and knew that the children would have been up in a few minutes to wake her. But, she enjoyed hearing the sounds of her children laughing downstairs, so she figured she would go down and greet them.

Michaela pulled on one of her favorite dresses, finding that it fit her a bit more snugly that it had the last time she wore it a couple of weeks ago. Knowing that was a good thing this time, she smiled with satisfaction and quickly pulled her hair up into a bun. Once she felt good about her appearance, she started down the stairs and was surprised to find that the twins were already up.

Colleen was tickling Connor while Matthew had Daniel, and that was where all of the laughter was coming from.

"Mornin' ma," Brian said, looking up from the table.

"Good morning," Michaela replied with a pleased smile.

"Oh, did we wake you up?" Colleen asked with a frown.

"I was just getting up anyway."

"We didn't wake up pa, did we?"

"No, he's still sleeping. But it looks as if you're going to be late for school."

"Oh right, Miss Dorothy is givin' us a quiz today," Matthew remembered. "We best get goin'."

"Ma? When will we be getting a real school teacher?" Brian asked. "Miss Dorothy, Miss Olive, and Reverend Johnson keep comin' in to teach us, but it ain't easy to learn when they keep teachin' different things."

"I know," Michaela replied. "But this is how it's going to be until we find a new teacher, I'm afraid."

"Well, I think we should get one," Colleen said with a nod.

"They're just not ready to make that decision. Miss Holly was a good teacher, and everybody misses her," Brian said softly. Michaela looked down, and Colleen nudged him.

"Brian!"

"It's alright," Michaela assured her children. "Just because Holly's gone doesn't mean we should avoid talking about her." Colleen decided to change the subject anyway.

"We got the boys ready this mornin' so ya wouldn't have to."

"That was thoughtful of you. Thank you all."

"Just so ya know, the wash room is a little damp. The boys enjoyed their breakfast." Michaela laughed, and a few minutes later, Colleen, Matthew, and Brian were heading off to school. Michaela was left alone downstairs with Connor and Daniel.

"Well, boys, are you ready to go see Grace and Robert E. today?" Connor giggled and clapped his hands together. Michaela laughed and started to clean off the boys' faces and hands. They'd been eating oatmeal, which they usually had for breakfast instead of nursing from Michaela in the mornings. Michaela realized that she was going to have to wean them from nursing before the new baby arrived, because once that happened, they would be getting old enough to be eating regular foods.

Sully's footsteps coming down the stairs snapped Michaela out of her thoughts. She smiled when he appeared wearing his buckskins and his nicer blue and white striped shirt. He walked up behind her, wrapped his arms around her neck, and kissed her cheek.

"Mornin'," he said softly, inhaling the scent of her hair.

"Good morning," she replied, turning in his arms and planting a kiss upon his lips.

"You hungry?"

"Not really."

"Well, ya gotta eat anyway. What do ya want?"

"Nothing sounds good," Michaela insisted.

"Do ya wanna get somethin' at Grace's?"

"No, no, that's alright."

"You gotta eat, Michaela. You gotta think of the baby."

"I am thinking of the baby, and my eating will not do it one bit of good if I throw it up." Sully cringed, and Michaela felt her stomach become queasy. She rushed off with her hand over her mouth, and Sully decided to give her some room. She ladled out some oatmeal from the pot anyway, wanting his wife to keep her strength up, and eat at least a little bit.

When she returned, Sully handed her a glass of water and a towel. She silent thanked him with an appreciative smile, and washed away the foul taste in her mouth. Sully pulled out the chair and motioned for Michaela to sit down.

"Sully," she said with exasperation, "I'm not hungry."

"Ya didn't eat much last night, and I want ya to get a good start today." Michaela decided that there was no arguing with her husband today. She sat down and began to eat a little. Her stomach didn't feel quite so bad since she had emptied it just a few minutes ago. "That ain't so bad, is it?" Michaela gave him a weak smile. "I'll go outside and hitch up the wagon."

"Sully, I'm perfectly capable of doing that."

"I know. I wanna do it for ya. I'll ride into town with ya too."

"Sully, if you'll remember correctly, I do not need your assistance with every little thing when I'm pregnant." Sully smiled a little and walked over to the front door.

"I know. I just like bein' helpful. I feel like my job's kinda over when you're pregnant. But you gotta carry that life around inside of ya for nine months, and at the end, ya gotta go through givin' birth. I just like helpin' ya out 'cause it makes me feel like I'm puttin' somethin' into this pregnancy." Michaela's eyes filled with tears.

"Oh, Sully, I'm sorry I snapped at you," she whispered, her tears beginning to fall. Sully walked over to kneel beside Michaela's chair.

"Ain't nothin' to be sorry about."

"You're not angry with me?" she asked, her lower lip trembling as she wiped her eyes. Sully shook his head.

"'Course not. You're carryin' our baby," he replied. He placed his hand on her belly. He leaned in to press his lips against Michaela's. "I'll be right back." Michaela nodded, and Sully walked outside to hitch up the wagon.

Before they had gone to bed the evening before, Michaela and Sully had told the children not to say anything about the pregnancy for a little while. They wanted things to be kept quiet for just a little while so they celebrate the impending arrival as a family. Brian had promised not to say a thing, but Matthew and Colleen were going to keep an eye on him.

Sully and Michaela walked over to the café, where Grace was serving breakfast. She looked rather busy, and so did Robert E., who had a lot of work to do at the livery. A young colored boy sat at a table near Grace, poking around his plate with a fork.

"Mornin' Grace," Sully greeted her. Grace smiled at them briefly.

"Mornin' Sully. Dr. Mike. Oh, I'm sorry, but I can't watch the boys today. I'm just too busy here at the café."

"That's alright," Sully replied. "I can watch 'em 'til I go to the reservation." Grace looked over at the young boy.

"Anthony, please eat somethin'. I know you're hungry." She sighed and shook her head as he continued to poke around at the plate with his fork. He had his chin resting in his hand. Michaela looked at Grace.

"Who is that?"

"His name is Anthony, and that's pretty much all me and Robert E. know. Robert E. found him in the livery last night, and he ain't been talkin' much. We're pretty sure he came from Shanty Town, 'cause he got upset when we mentioned it last night."

"If ya want, I can take him by there, see if his folks will claim him," Sully offered.

"That'd be mighty nice of you, but I don't know if he'll go."

"Perhaps I can examine him at my clinic."

"What for?" Grace asked, looking at Michaela.

"Well, I can make sure he isn't sick, and in the meantime, I might be able to get him to trust me." Grace raised an eyebrow.

"Say, that ain't a bad idea, Dr. Mike!" Grace quickly took a few plates over to a table, and wiped her hands off on her apron. She, Michaela, and Sully started for the table.

"Anthony, this is Dr. Mike and her husband Sully," Grace said with a smile.

"Hi," Anthony greeted them.

"Hello Anthony, it's nice to meet you," Michaela said with a warm smile as she held Connor on her hip.

"Anthony," Sully said with a nod.

"Dr. Mike would like to see you at her clinic. She wants to make sure you're in tiptop shape."

"I ain't gonna get stuck with a needle, am I?"

"No," Michaela said with a grin. Anthony pondered this for a moment before he agreed.

"Will ya come with me, Miss Grace?"

"I'm sorry Anthony, but I'm real busy here. Dr. Mike will be with ya, and she's my friend. You can trust her, alright?" Anthony nodded slowly and stood up. He took a sip of milk from a cup and followed Michaela and Sully toward the clinic. Sully put the boys down in the other room, and went over to the livery to talk to Robert E. about taking Anthony to Shanty Town.

"How old are you, Anthony?" Michaela asked as she checked his heartbeat.

"I'm eleven," he replied. "Ya think I can go to school?"

"School?" Michaela asked. "Well, I don't see why not."

"My friend Mary goes to your school, so I figure they'd let me in."

"You know Mary?" Anthony nodded slowly.

"How did you meet her?"

"Um," Anthony said softly, not knowing what to say. He didn't want to say too much, but then again, he felt that if Miss Grace could trust her, so could he. "Well, we were orphans together."

"Oh?"

"I saw her yesterday," he said softly. "I'm supposed to meet her after school today. I want to go to school with Mary. She's my friend." Michaela smiled.

"Well, I'm sure you'll be able to go," she replied. The council had allowed Mary to go, so Michaela assumed that all colored children who wanted to attend would be welcome. After further examination, Anthony seemed to be in excellent health, though a bit malnourished. "Promise me that you'll have a big breakfast once you go back to Grace's?"

"Yes ma'am," he replied with a big smile. "You sure you ain't gonna stick me with a needle?"

"I'm sure," Michaela chuckled. She paused briefly. "Anthony?"

"Yes, ma'am?"

"You ran away from Shanty Town didn't you?"

"Please don't let 'em send me back there!"

"So you did run away?"

"Well, I ran from the orphan train," he explained. "I didn't wanna be an orphan no more, 'cause nobody ever wanted me. So, I started stayin' with a family, but they started 'beatin' me. Please don't make me go back."

"We still need to let that family know where you are," Michaela said with concern in her voice.

"No! They'll beat me for sure!" he exclaimed. "I don't wanna go back."

"Alright," Michaela replied softly. "I have an idea. Why don't you stay here, and we'll have somebody go talk to the family you were living with." Anthony seemed to like that idea a little better.

"Please don't let 'em take me back."

"We're not going to let anything bad happen to you, Anthony. We'll do what's best, alright?"

"Okay," he replied quietly. "The lady I was stayin' with was Miss Addie."

"Alright, thank you," Michaela whispered. "You may go now." Anthony nodded and hopped down from the exam table. As soon as he'd started for Grace's, Michaela hurried over to the livery to tell Sully and Robert E. what she had found out.

"I'll go talk to 'em, and find out what I can. I'll be back in a little while, and then I gotta go to the reservation," Sully explained. Michaela nodded, and they shared a kiss before Sully mounted a horse and hurried off toward Shanty Town.

Michaela walked into the mercantile with Connor on one hip and Daniel on the other. Jake and Horace were standing around with Loren at the counter. They had gotten word of the new colored boy that Robert E. and Grace had temporarily taken in.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen," Michaela said with a smile.

"Dr. Mike," the men seemed to say in unison. Olive looked up from her dusting to see Michaela.

"What can we do for ya, Dr. Mike?"

"I need to pick some white yarn."

"Alright," Olive replied. "Here, let me help ya with these boys." She took Connor into her arms, and he grinned widely. Michaela laughed. Connor took to Miss Olive right off, but it took Daniel a little while to fully trust that she was a friend.

As the women were looking through the spools of thread, Jake spoke up.

"Robert E. was tellin' me that the boy wants to go to our school." Loren snickered a bit. Michaela shot a glance in their direction.

"Yes, Anthony was telling me that earlier. What's wrong with him attending our school?"

"Well, he ain't white for one," Jake pointed out.

"That doesn't make a difference," Michaela replied. Horace looked at Jake.

"Mary ain't white either," he replied.

"Ah, that's different," Loren defended.

"How is that different, may I ask?" Michaela asked.

"You always do," Jake replied under his breath.

"Mary's different 'cause she's in Horace's care. She was Holly's daughter, and we allowed her to go 'cause she was the teacher's daughter. She's livin' with Horace, and he ain't colored."

"Just because she lives with a white man, that doesn't make her white," Olive pointed out, siding with Michaela for once.

"But we already decided to let her go at a council meetin'," Jake replied. Michaela shook her head.

"This is ridiculous! If Holly were here right now, she would be ashamed of you both! I propose that we call a town council meeting, and we'll decide then." Michaela decided to get the yarn later, took Connor into her free arm, and stalked off toward the clinic. Jake felt something tug at his heart. Holly had been on his mind during every waking moment since she had been gone. She'd even been in his dream, and now he was thinking about prohibiting a child of color from going to school, when her own daughter had been of colored blood too. He knew she wouldn't accept that, and now he felt as if he was letting her down.

Jake turned and started across the street.

"Where are you goin'?" Loren called after him. Jake didn't answer, but he did lock up his shop and spend the rest of the day with a bottle of whiskey.

Michaela sat at home that evening, waiting for Sully to return home from the reservation. Colleen and Brian had turned in an hour ago, and Matthew was upstairs studying for a history test he had coming up soon. Michaela was so proud of him for being so studious. She knew he would do well in college, and she couldn't wait until the day he graduated and proceeded on to law school.

She smiled, thinking about the future, and pictured how all of the children would turn out. She knew Matthew would make a fine lawyer, and Colleen a fine physician. She wasn't sure what Brian wanted to do with his life, but she was sure that he would succeed at whatever he did. As for Connor and Daniel, she began to picture what they would look like as young men, and she had a good feeling that they would look very much like their father. The life growing inside of her now had no face she could picture yet, but she was sure that he or she would be beautiful.

Earlier, Sully had returned from Shanty Town to deliver the news that he had met with the family that was caring for Anthony, and he didn't think the boy should be placed back in their care. He told them that they had no legal rights to him, and that the boy was in good hands now. Grace and Robert E. hadn't been quite sure of what to do, but the first thing they wanted was for Anthony to start getting an education before they made any decisions about whether or not to try to adopt him.

Michaela told Robert E. and Grace that she had suggested a meeting of the town council, and at that meeting, she was going to propose allowing children of all race enter the doors and learn the things they deserved to learn as much as the white children did. Hopefully something fair would be decided, and she knew that at least two of the five on the council would be voting for this movement, those two being herself and Horace.

Michaela decided that it was getting late, and Sully would get home eventually. She worried about him, but she also knew that he could keep himself safe. She went around turning down the oil lamps and putting out all of the candles. She let the fire downstairs burn, because she knew it would be freezing the morning if she didn't.

After she was finished, she slowly ascended the stairs and stopped by the twins' room before retiring to her own room. She slipped into a nightgown, and crawled under the covers. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, listening to the wind as it howled outside.

A knock came to the door, and Michaela sat up, lighting the lamp beside her bed.

"Come in." Brian poked his head in, and smiled sheepishly at his mother.

"Brian? What is it, sweetheart?"

"I can't sleep. Will you read me a story?" He handed her a book about knights and castles.

"Come sit," she replied. Brian crawled up into the bed beside his mother, and she began to read to him, making sure to raise her voice during the exciting parts. She found that reading with Brian was quite enjoyable, and she was going to have to do this more often.

Before too long, the boy was sleeping, and Michaela didn't think it would be wise to lift him and take him back to bed. Luckily, Sully arrived home shortly after the boy fell asleep. He walked into the room to see his wife sitting up in bed, gently stroking the soft blonde hair on their son's head.

"Hey," he whispered. Michaela looked up at Sully, and her eyes lit up.

"Hello," she replied. Sully looked at Brian. "He couldn't sleep, so I read to him."

"Want me to take him to his room?"

"That's probably a good idea," Michaela replied with a smile. Sully gently scooped the boy up into his arms and started down the hall. He returned a few minutes later and slipped out of his clothes before he got into bed and snuggled up close to his wife. Michaela turned down the lamp and stared into Sully's eyes. "How was your day, Mr. Sully?" Sully pulled his arm around her and kissed her softly.

"It just got better. Yours?"

"It was pretty normal. I didn't have many patients, and I was mostly trying to think of a way to convince Loren, Jake, and the Reverend to allow Anthony to come to the school." Sully sighed. "I hope it works out."

"I'm sure it will. When you want somethin' bad enough, you usually do your hardest to get it. I'm sure this won't be any different."

"Thank you for being so confident in me." Sully kissed Michaela and grazed his hand against her cheek.

"That's just 'cause I believe in you. You've got your heart set on what's right. There ain't nothin' wrong with that." Michaela smiled happily and leaned her head against her husband's chest. "You just get some rest, and try to think positive." Before he finished his sentence, Michaela had drifted off to sleep and was well on her way to having a wonderful dream.


	3. Alone Time

**Chapter 3: Alone Time**

Two days later, the church was filled from front to back with townsfolk and the council members. Loren, Jake, Reverend Johnson, Michaela, and Horace sat at the table, quietly talking before the meeting while the other town members chattered away at what they thought was best for this case.

Grace and Robert E. most definitely wanted Anthony to have an education, and they only thought it was fair that he should be allowed into the school seeing as Mary was. There was a school let up for Negro children in Shanty Town, but they weren't learning the things they needed to know.

"Alright folks, settle down!" Jake called above the crowd. "Dr. Mike, go ahead." Michaela looked at the crowd and saw her family's encouraging smiles.

"We're here this afternoon to discuss a very important matter. We just fought a war that proved us all to be equal, so I am proposing that our school doors be open to children of all races." With that said, the church exploded into chatter of all sorts from the townsfolk, some agreeing, and others strongly disagreeing.

Once the crowd had quieted down, Jake spoke up.

"I think we ought to vote. Reverend?" Reverend Johnson looked around the crowd.

"While I do believe all children should have an education, I think that letting all children into this school would cause more harm than good within the town. Now I want to keep the peace, but maybe we can build a schoolhouse for the colored children."

"We already got one in Shanty Town," Hank spoke up. Myra elbowed him in the ribs to quiet him.

Grace put her arm around Anthony. Mary, who was sitting beside him, reached over to take his hand.

"It's alright," she whispered. "You don't gotta be afraid." Anthony smiled at Mary, and squeezed her hand.

"So there's one against it," Loren spoke up. "I say no. Things gotta stay the same. We only let little Mary in 'cause her ma was teachin'. Things are different now, so I say we don't let anymore children in who ain't like us."

"The only difference, Loren, is the color of their skin."

"My final word. I'm sayin' no."

"There's two against it," Jake pointed out. "Horace?"

"While I'm happy that Mary's getting an education, it ain't right to keep other children out who are deservin' just 'cause they ain't white. Mary shouldn't have been an exception, so I'm sayin' yes."

"Dr. Mike?" Reverend Johnson asked.

"I'm saying yes. All children should have the chance to do something with their lives. Education should be put first for all children." All eyes turned to Jake. He was the one to cast the deciding vote. Everyone knew he was in love with Holly, but he had also been strongly opposed to this idea before Michaela expressed her shock towards him and Loren.

"Jake, it's up to you," Loren said, thinking that surely Jake would close the deal and prohibit any more students who weren't white from entering the doors.

Jake scanned the crowd and saw people whispering, wondering what he was going to do. He had the power in his hands, and he wasn't sure whether to do right by Holly or to keep the respect of the townsfolk who he tended to agree with most of the time.

"We ain't got all day, Jake," Hank spoke up from the crowd. Several men in the back laughed under their breaths. Jake swallowed hard, feeling his conscience being ripped apart by the second.

"I say yes," he replied. The townsfolk went wild. Some were cheering, some were yelling, and some sat still, not wanting to get involved.

"Then this subject is closed. All children are welcome into our school doors."

"Even the immigrants and the Indians?" Brian asked.

"Any child whose parent wishes for them to attend our school, Brian, though I believe the Indians have their own ways of teaching," Michaela said with a grin.

"C'mon," Sully suggested as the crowd began to leave the church. "Let's go celebrate."

"I agree," Grace spoke up, giving Michaela a hug. "You in the mood for pie?"

"When ain't she?" Brian asked, speaking of his mother's recent cravings. Colleen nudged her brother in the back.

"Brian!" she hissed. Grace looked at Michaela who only shrugged. Grace raised an eyebrow but decided not to say anything at the moment. She, Robert E., and Anthony walked behind the Sully family.

"You ain't sendin' me away, then?" Anthony asked, looking up at Robert E. and Grace.

"You ain't goin' nowhere, son," Robert E. replied. He looked at Grace, hoping he hadn't spoken too soon, but the look in her eyes told him that she had already fallen in love with this little boy and wanted to be a mother to him. Anthony smiled brightly, and ran ahead to find Mary. Grace stopped and tugged on Robert E.'s hand. "If ya think I . . ."

"Robert E., thank you."

"For what?"

"That little boy needs a good home. He's a child without a mother, and I'm a mother without a child," she replied with tears in her eyes. "Nobody is ever gonna take the place of our baby girl, but this little boy needs people to love him, and I want us to be those people." Robert E. pressed a kiss to his wife's hand.

"We're gonna give him a home," he replied. Grace smiled happily at her husband, took his hand, and they continued on toward the café.

As Michaela was swallowing the last bite of her second piece of pie, Jenny and Clayton Baker made their way over.

"Jenny! Clayton," Michaela said with a smile.

"Sorry we didn't make it for supper the other night, Dr. Mike. The storm kept us shut up in our house, and we've been fixin' it up since then," Clayton explained with a sheepish smile.

"That's alright, we'll have dinner together some other time. I'd like the two of you to meet my family," Michaela said with a smile. "This is my husband Sully, my daughter Colleen, and my four sons, Matthew, Brian, Connor, and Daniel. Everyone, this is Jenny and Clayton Baker."

"Nice to meet you," was heard throughout as everyone shook hands and got acquainted with one another.

"Why don't ya both join us?" Sully asked.

"Well, we were actually goin' over to the mercantile to pick up some supplies," Jenny replied. "Um, Dr. Mike, can I talk to ya for a minute?"

"Of course." Michaela excused herself while Clayton said his goodbyes and went over to the mercantile. Michaela and Jenny stood beside Grace's stove to talk out of the earshot of others. "What is it?"

"Well, I heard the town's in need of a school teacher."

"Yes, desperately. We have three citizens volunteering when they can, but it's becoming difficult for the students."

"Well, before I married Clayton, my parents sent me off to school to be a teacher. I've got a license to teach," Jenny explained. "Clayton wouldn't mind none if I worked with the children. We're wantin' to start our own family, so teachin' the children of this town might be a bit of practice for me."

"Well, I'm sure the town would love to have you," Michaela said with a grin. "I'll call the council together for a private meeting tomorrow."

"Thank you, Dr. Mike!" Jenny exclaimed. "I better go help Clayton."

"Goodbye, Jenny," Michaela replied with a wave. Jenny hurried off toward the mercantile, and Michaela walked over to re-join her family. Grace came back over to the table.

"Any more pie for ya'll?"

"I'll have another piece." Sully grinned to himself, happy that his wife's appetite was starting to come back.

"Comin' right up," Grace replied, grinning a little. Michaela noticed the look in her eyes, and she followed Grace over to the table where the pies had been laid out.

"Grace," she began.

"You're pregnant, aren't ya?" she asked. Michaela's eyes sparkled, and a grin appeared on her lips.

"Yes," she replied. "But we're keeping it a secret for now."

"What for?"

"Well, we'd like to have some privacy to celebrate as a family before the rest of the town knows. Besides, the baby won't be here until December," Michaela whispered. Grace winked at her.

"Your secret's safe with me. Congratulations!" The two hugged, and a few of the townsfolk looked over, wondering what was going on. When Michaela walked back over to her family, everyone else went back to eating their lunch and desserts. Sully put his arm around Michaela and looked at her lovingly. Connor began to bang his fists on the table, wanting a piece of the pie that Brian was eating. Michaela laughed and picked the boy up, holding him into her lap.

"You can share with mommy," she said with a giggle. Grace placed a piece of apple pie in front of Michaela. Michaela put a bit of the sauce from inside onto her spoon, blew on it to cool it off, and let Connor have a taste. He seemed to love it! "Oh no, Brian! Connor seems to have your sweet tooth." Brian laughed, and Michaela passed the boy over to him.

"Alright, you can share with me then," he replied. "When you're old enough, I'll take ya to Mr. Bray's store and show ya the best candy." Michaela and Sully glanced at one another and bit back fits of laughter. They loved watching their children interact together. It made knowing another baby was on the way feel even more special. They knew this child was already loved, and it had a place in their expanding family.

Michaela did feel a bit down about something, however. This time, she wouldn't have her mother and father anxiously anticipating the birth of their grandchild. This year, both Josef and Elizabeth were dead, and this child would never get to meet his or her grandmother and grandfather.

Her temporary state of depression was immediately dissolved when she heard, "Mama!" Michaela's eyes went wide, and she looked across the table at Daniel, who was holding his arms out. Everyone had grown silent, and Michaela wasn't sure she had heard right.

"What did Daniel just say?" Michaela asked. A big grin spread over Sully's face, and Michaela looked at him with wide eyes.

"Mama!" Daniel repeated, trying to stretch his fingers out to reach her. Michaela reached for her son and pulled him into her arms.

"That's right!" Michaela exclaimed. Both boys had said 'papa' for their first words, and it was thrilling to hear one of them finally saying 'mama.' "You are so smart! Yes you are!" Connor wasn't quite sure he liked the fact that Daniel was getting the attention, but considering he was getting praise for what he just said, Connor decided to try it too.

"Mama!"

"Oh!" Michaela exclaimed, bursting into tears. "That's right!" Sully knew that she was a bit hormonal due to the pregnancy, but it was so beautiful to see her so happy over a simple word. She pulled Connor into her arms too, and held them both closely. "Sully, did you hear?"

"I heard," Sully said with a chuckle. Matthew, Colleen, and Brian watched their parents with the boys, and knew that there would be so many wonderful moments like this in the future. They weren't quite sure how Michaela was going to react each time one of the boys or the upcoming baby did something brand new, but they figured they would have to stock up on handkerchiefs for their mother.

Later that afternoon, Michaela was sitting on the porch of the homestead while Connor and Daniel crawled around on a quilt she'd left in the doorway of the homestead. The door had been propped open so the boys could play together, and she could keep an eye on them.

Sully had taken Brian fishing, and Matthew was sitting inside at the kitchen table, studying hard. Colleen had gone to her friend Becky's house to work on a project for school, so Michaela felt like she had the entire day to herself. She longed to go for a horseback ride, but she knew that wasn't an option for her until after the baby was born. She had the better part of a year to carry this life inside of her, and it seemed as if being pregnant only lasted for a moment compared to her entire life.

She had spent all of her years in school studying hard to make her father proud. She had never had time for friends, and that was why she was thankful she had friends like Grace, Dorothy, and Myra. She had never truly had a friend until Sully came along, and that friendship had rapidly blossomed into love.

She sighed, thinking about how long she had known Sully. It hadn't even been two years since she had met him, but it felt like they had been together for years. It even seemed as though the children had been with them since they were infants, though they had only been a real family for about a year. Michaela found it amazing how the way she saw the world changed once she and Sully began courting.

Boston was no longer her world. She had gone from a fancy Bostonian upbringing to a rough and dusty little town like Colorado Springs. She was no longer the full-time doctor who had no time for beaus or friends. Now she was a down-to-earth though still proper wife and mother with friends she could always count on.

The galloping of a horse brought Michaela out of her thoughts. She smiled when she saw Ingrid, the girl who Matthew swore he was going to marry. They had already begun making plans, and Matthew had sent all the way to New York for an engagement ring, which he had paid for by doing odd jobs around town and for some of the widows who were tending the farms their husbands left unattended when they passed.

"Hello Dr. Mike," Ingrid said as she dismounted her brother Jon's horse. She tied the reins to the porch railing, and smiled at the doctor.

"Hello Ingrid," Michaela said with a smile. "Matthew's just inside." Matthew stepped over the boys who were still playing in the doorway.

"I'm done studyin' ma," he replied. "I was just gonna go for a picnic with Ingrid."

"Well, alright. Be home before dark."

"We will," Matthew replied. Michaela looked over at the twins as Ingrid and Matthew started to walk away hand-in-hand.

"Matthew, we could take your brothers with us," Ingrid offered.

"What?"

"Your mother looks tired, no?"

"She's alright," Matthew replied. "We don't . . ."

"Please? We could practice. We will have our own babies someday," Ingrid explained. Ingrid's eyes pleaded with Matthew. He knew Ingrid adored the boys. Matthew sighed and kissed her hand. They turned and walked over toward the porch.

"Ma?"

"Yes?" she asked.

"Would you mind if we took Connor and Daniel with us? You look like you could use a day to yourself. Ya don't get many of those anymore." Michaela hadn't thought of having a day to herself in such a long time. She enjoyed her family, and was always happy to have their company, but she realized that having a little time alone for a change might be nice. "Ma?" She realized she hadn't said anything for quite a few moments.

"You know what? That would be lovely! I think I'll take you up on your offer." Matthew smiled, and Michaela lifted Connor up and handed him to Ingrid. Matthew took Daniel, and went inside to get their blankets. "They've just been fed, so they should be fine for the next couple of hours. Just make sure they don't get cold."

"Don't worry, I helped take care of Colleen and Brian. Ya know I can take care of these two, 'cause I've done it before," Matthew reminded her. Michaela laughed.

"Yes, I know."

"Don't worry. We'll be home later." Michaela watched as Matthew and Ingrid took off walking down the lane with the boys in their arms, and for a moment, Michaela could practically see the future and Matthew with his wife and children of his own.

Once they had disappeared down the road, Michaela locked up the house and started off into the woods. She knew of a secluded lake nearby where she could take a relaxing swim. It was rather warm for April, so she figured she wouldn't catch a chill.

She walked for about a half hour before she came to the sun-kissed lake. She looked around, making sure nobody was around fishing or swimming. When she saw that it was completely abandoned this afternoon, she stripped out of her dress and undergarments and slowly stepped into the water.

It was cold at first, but as she slowly let her body sink down into the soothing water, her body adjusted, and it soon didn't feel so cold.

The sun beat down on the lake, making it sparkle like a billion diamonds. It almost looked as if the stars from the night sky had fallen and illuminated the lake during the daytime. Michaela made a mental note not to stay in the water for very long, because with the sun shining right down on her, she could easily become sun burnt. Thanks to Cloud Dancing, however, she knew where she could get her hands on some aloe to soothe the pain.

She felt a fish brush against her leg, and jumped at the feeling. She finally settled back into the water, letting her entire body except for her head become submerged. She tilted her head back, letting all of her hair become damp. She slowly opened her eyes, looking up at the clear blue sky. A few large fluffy clouds floated slowly along, reminding Michaela of a game she had seen Brian playing once. He would lay back and look at the sky, trying to think of what each cloud looked like. She had never done that as a child. Perhaps she could try it now.

She smiled, looking up at one of the large formations. She studied it for a few minute before coming to the conclusion that it looked a lot like Pike's Peak. She exhaled slowly, wondering what it would be like to stand on the top of Pike's Peak, looking down at the earth from what seemed to be the tallest piece of land in the area. Another cloud floated past several minutes later, and it reminded Michaela of a wolf or a fox.

After awhile, Michaela felt as relaxed as she could possibly feel after floating and slowly swimming around in the lake. She hadn't known how to swim when she first arrived in Colorado Springs, but she had learned quickly that swimming was almost a necessity! Well, at least it had been before Sully built the homestead and put in their very own tub to bathe in. She hadn't had much time for swimming lately, so she was grateful for this afternoon.

She suddenly began to wish that she wasn't alone. Yes, it had been nice to have a little peace and quiet, but the truth was that she liked all of the noise around the house with the twins trying to learn new words and getting into everything now that they were crawling. She loved when Colleen and Brian asked for help with her homework. She even liked Matthew getting frustrated with his homework and throwing his book across his bedroom, even though she would have to call up the stairs for him to calm down. At least she knew he was trying to learn, and that was what was best.

She also missed Sully. She missed him when he was at the reservation, and he hadn't had to go out there today, but he had to keep a promise he made to Brian to go fishing. Otherwise, she knew that she would be in bed with the man she loved right now.

She had spent about a three-quarters of an hour in the water, and she felt so relaxed. She knew it was time to be getting out of the water and putting her clothes back on. She sighed and dunked herself under the water, letting the water caress her soft face. She did a very difficult somersault under the water, and began to swim toward the shore.

When her head popped up through the water's surface, she was impressed with how far she had gone. Her clothes were only a few feet away on the bank. She planted her feet in the sand, feeling it squish between her toes. She started to stand when she heard a twig snap. She gasped, hiding her body in the shadows of the lake.

"Who's there?" she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest underneath the water. She looked around, her vision a bit fuzzy from the water she'd gotten in them. After a few moments of silence, she started to stand up again, but she heard a footstep. "Who's there?!" Finally, Sully emerged from the bushes with a grin on his face. Michaela let out a sigh of relief and shook her head.

"Afternoon."

"Sully!" She cupped her hands and tried to splash water on him, but he stepped out of the way. He chuckled, and she slowly stood, revealing her naked body, shimmering with sunlit water droplets. The sight of her sent the initial feelings of desire throughout his body.

"You didn't have to sneak up on me, did you?"

"I wanted to catch ya off guard," he replied.

"How long have you been here?"

"Just a couple minutes, I promise."

"Where's Brian?"

"We didn't catch anything, so he went into town to get to know Anthony. We passed Matthew and Ingrid with the boys on our way home."

"How did you find me?" Michaela wondered.

"I followed your tracks," he replied.

"Oh, I should have known," she laughed, standing on her tiptoes to place a kiss upon his lips. When she pulled away, she realized he was holding something behind his back. "What's that?"

"What's what?" he questioned playfully. Michaela reached behind him, but he stepped back.

"Sully!" she exclaimed with laughter as he shielded it from her sight. She finally had an idea. "You aren't going to make your pregnant wife struggle, are you?" That seemed to work.

"Alright," he said. "But just so ya know, you can't use the baby as an excuse for another month." Michaela grinned and Sully revealed one of the many fur throws he'd used at the lean to. It was the largest of all of them, one that they'd shared when they'd been stuck out in the cold woods for a night.

"What did you bring that out here for?" He leaned in to kiss her lips, and he whispered into her ear.

"'Cause we're gonna have to use somethin' as a bed." Michaela looked up into his desire-filled eyes. She was a bit shocked at his suggestion, but she knew that she too could play around.

"What do you have in mind, Mr. Sully?"

"Well, Mrs. Sully," he began, stepping closer to her so she would have to back herself back into the water, "I was thinking that I could spend the afternoon with my wife without anyone knowin' where we are or what we're doin'."

"Sully, not here!" she exclaimed. Sully stepped closer to her, and she took another step into the water.

"Why not? There aren't any houses around for miles, 'cept our own. I already looked around. Nobody's here."

"Well, it's not proper!" she exclaimed. Sully chuckled a little, running his hands down her shoulders. He leaned in to kiss her again, but this time she didn't worry about propriety. She wrapped her damp arms around his neck, bringing herself closer to him. The passion built by the minute, and when Sully broke away, he left Michaela's body and heart longing for more. He reached for her again, but this time, he began to tickle her. She broke out into laughter, trying to squirm away from him. She ran out into the water, diving in, knowing Sully wouldn't dare to jump in with his clothes on. But, she didn't expect him to do what he did next.

He quickly removed his belt, which carried his tomahawk, threw his shirt to the side, pulled off his moccasins, and slipped out of his pants. He dove into the water, and Michaela let out a delighted yelp as Sully swam to catch her. Knowing he couldn't move very fast in the water, she moved far away from him once he was under the water. When he came up for air, he saw her looking at him from about six feet away. She had a playful look in her eyes, and he was sure he did too.

Michaela ducked under the water, and Sully tried to search for her , but the sunlight bounced off of the water so brightly that he couldn't see a thing. A moment later, he felt a tug on his leg, and he found himself being plunged under the water. He felt her soft hands on his shoulders, and she moved down so she was face to face with him beneath the surface. Sully pulled Michaela into his arms, and their lips met as they broke through the surface. They held onto each other, breathing heavily and kissing so passionately. The water splashed up around their shoulders as they stood chest deep in the water. Michaela's breasts pressed against Sully's chest, and the feeling of her nipples against his tingling skin made his desire for her build.

He gently nipped at her bottom lip with his teeth, and she slowly opened her eyes, looking straight into his. He lifted her up in the water, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. His hands massaged her thighs as she balanced herself by putting her hands on his shoulders. She tilted her head back into the water, letting the sunshine on her face as Sully's mouth explored her chest and her breasts. She moaned as she felt his arousal. Her own desire for him was pooling at her center, needing his immediate attention.

"Sully," she moaned. "I need you." His mouth found hers again, and they clumsily made their way to the shore, kissing and caressing one another along the way. Once they climbed out of the water, Sully picked her up and laid her down on the large fur throw. Her glistening body lay sprawled out before him, and he watched her face begin to turn a little red. She was breaking a rule of propriety, but she didn't seem to care very much when Sully knelt down and crawled on top of her, running his fingers through her dripping wet hair.

His fingers moved to stroke over her full, luscious lips, and she kissed his fingertips and lightly bit the tip of his thumb between her teeth. He pulled his hand away and replaced it with his mouth, kissing her with an impassioned urgency that made Michaela's heart beat faster and her own desire build up higher than ever before.

He settled himself between her legs, and she stared into his eyes as he entered her. He felt her tighten around him, and he could feel her heart beating in sync with his own. His back began to tremble, and he kissed her lips again, moaning into her mouth as he began to move inside of her. She draped one of her legs around him, letting him bury himself further inside of her. She arched her back as he began to move a bit faster. Their lips joined again, and they explored each other with a newfound enthusiasm.

She met each of his thrusts with her own movements, and soon, both were breathing heavily, feeling the passion about to overwhelm the both of them.

"Sully!" Michaela cried out as she found her release. Sully held on a few moments longer, helping her ride out the wave of pleasure. He found his own release soon after, and rested his sweaty forehead against his wife's. Before he pulled away from her, their eyes locked gazes, and he panted against her lips, giving her an exhausted kiss before rolling off of her and collapsing at her side. Michaela rolled onto her side as Sully pulled his arms around her protectively.

"I love you so much," he whispered as his gently stroked her arm.

"I love you too," she replied, letting out a satisfied yawn. Her fingers began to work their way down his chest and circle around his bellybutton. Sully let out a soft growl from deep within his throat, pulling Michaela's lips up to his yet again, feeling as if he would never have enough of her amazing kisses.

After several more moments of silence, Michaela sat up and began to pull her clothes on. Sully's eyes were closed, but he wasn't sleeping, and Michaela knew it. She smiled knowingly, and once she was dressed, she knelt down to kiss his forehead.

"We should be starting back home." Sully slowly opened his eyes and wished he could stay with her in their magical place forever. Unfortunately that wasn't possible. His hand moved up to caress her cheek, and she closed her eyes, leaning into his touch.

"We could stay a bit longer."

"We really should go home," Michaela reluctantly insisted. "I'm sure Colleen and Brian will be home soon." Sully nodded.

"You're right." He quickly pulled on his clothes and gathered up the fur throw. He and Michaela joined hands and started off away from the lake and toward home.

They took an exceptionally long time getting home, arriving just at dusk. Brian and Colleen were just coming down the road, having met up along the way. Sully and Michaela made it to the porch first after having dropped off the fur throw at the lean to. Sully promised Michaela they would have more afternoons of spontaneity like the one they had just experienced, and that promise sounded more than wonderful to her.

"Hey ma, hey pa," Colleen said with a smile. "Where were you two?"

"We um," Michaela started, not sure if her cheeks were flushed red or not.

"We went for a walk," Sully replied. "Your little brothers are with and Ingrid, so we took advantage of the quiet."

"Why's your hair damp?" Brian asked, looking from his mother to his father. Michaela and Sully had thought they'd been gone long enough to have let their hair dry. Luckily they didn't have to answer that question. Pup and Wolf came running up, and Brian forgot about his question so he could go to the barn to feed his companion. Sully winked at Michaela, gently stroking her back.

"Come along, Colleen, let's start dinner," Michaela suggested, changing the subject. Colleen nodded and went into the house. Michaela gave her husband a soft kiss, her lips lingering on his for a moment. Neither one of them had to say a word to let the other know how amazing they felt that the day had been. They could see it in each other's eyes and feel it in their kisses. Sully gave Michaela's hand a gentle squeeze and a loving glance before he started out to the barn to help Brian feed Wolf and Pup, while Michaela retreated into the house to help her daughter with dinner.


	4. The Schoolteacher

**Chapter 4: The Schoolteacher**

Colleen, Mary, Anthony, Brian, and Becky were seated on the porch of the church. Brian's ear was pressed up against the door, trying to listen in on the conversation involving the town council and Jenny Baker.

"What are they sayin'?" Becky asked curiously.

"I can't tell," Brian replied with a sigh.

"What are you guys doin'?" Matthew asked as he walked over with Connor and Daniel in tow.

"We're tryin' to find out if Jenny's gonna be our new teacher," Colleen explained. Matthew sat down on the step of the church with the boys in his lap. Daniel grabbed hold of the ribbon on Becky's bonnet and pulled on it.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, thinking Matthew had done it. When she saw Daniel clutching the bonnet in his little fist with a victorious grin on his face, she shook her head.

"Connor!" she exclaimed. Colleen looked over.

"That's Daniel, Becky," she laughed.

"Oh it's hard to tell them apart, anyway," Becky replied, taking her bonnet away from the boy and placing it back on her head.

"Shh!" Brian exclaimed. "I'm tryin' to listen!" The door opened, and Jake stood staring down at the curious students. "Too late. Is Jenny gonna be our new teacher?" Jake tipped his hat.

"Mrs. Baker will start teachin' Monday, and that's what ya'll better call her."

"Why can't we just call her Jenny? She told us to."

"That's different," Jake explained. "When she's your teacher, ya gotta respect her and not use her first name, like you do for Dorothy and Olive."

"Oh," Brian replied. "We can do that."

"You kids run along and stop dirtyin' the church steps." He started across town toward the barbershop. The children walked off, leaving the twins with Matthew. Matthew lingered on the steps of the church, waiting for Michaela. He had to drop the boys off with her, because he promised Ingrid he would meet her for lunch. Michaela emerged from the church with Jenny Baker a few moments later.

"Oh, Matthew, have you heard the news?"

"Yep," he answered. "Congratulations, Mrs. Baker."

"You don't have to call me Mrs. Baker outside of the classroom, Matthew." Jenny and Clayton had been to supper at the Sully homestead the evening before. The two of them seemed like very interesting and lovely people. The children took to them right away, the young couple seemed to share Michaela and Sully's views about people being equal, including the Indians.

"Right," Matthew said, blushing a bit. He turned his attention back to Michaela. "Ma, I gotta go meet Ingrid. I wanted to drop the boys off with you."

"Well, alright. I was just heading over to the clinic to pick up a few things." She took Connor into her arms, and reached for Daniel.

"Oh, can I hold him?" Jenny asked. "Me and Clayton are wantin' to start a family once we get settled in. I'd like the practice."

"Of course," Michaela replied with a grin. Matthew handed Daniel to the new schoolteacher before running off toward the immigrant camp. Michaela and Jenny began to walk towards town. "What is Clayton going to do about a job?" Michaela wondered.

"Oh, he's over at Miss Olive's ranch right now, seein' 'bout helpin' her out with her cattle."

"Oh, then he'll be working with Matthew!" Jenny smiled. "I think Clayton's takin' to your oldest boy. He misses his youngest brother. Jared was about Matthew's age. He died tryin' to save their ma from burglars.

"That's terrible," Michaela said sadly, shaking her head.

"Yeah," Jenny answered. "I think Clayton and Matthew will be good friends."

"I believe you're right. Matthew seemed fascinated by Clayton's story of his encounter with the bear." Jenny laughed.

"Clayton tells that one all the time thinkin' he's gonna get some kinda medal or somethin'." The two women laughed together and walked into the clinic. She hoped Sully would return with the wagon. He had taken a few things out to the old Quinn homestead. Josef had left it for Matthew and Ingrid, but Matthew wouldn't be living in it until after college and law school. Sully was thinking about asking Matthew to sell it or rent it out for someone else to use. Unfortunately the house couldn't be kept up by itself, and after the storms that came through a few days ago, the house had acquired a small leak in the main bedroom upstairs. He had gone out to fix it early in the morning, so Michaela thought he would surely be coming into town soon. She would take the wagon the children kept after Charlotte's death, but she knew Matthew would need it later when he came home.

"How have things been going for you and Clayton since you arrived?"

"We've been doin' alright. The house is almost completely cleaned up, and we're all unpacked. The ladies in town have been real nice to me. Miss Dorothy gave us our first copy of the gazette for free, and Miss Olive set us up with an account at the mercantile. Grace even baked us an apple pie, which is Clayton's favorite, so I had to hide the last piece from him so I could have a taste." Michaela laughed and bounced Connor on her hip. She put him down on the exam table, because she could tell he needed a new diaper.

"Oh, could you hand me one of those clean diapers from that shelf, please?" Michaela asked. Jenny walked over to retrieve it for her new friend. Michaela quickly cleaned her little boy up, and put a fresh diaper on his bottom. "All better." She looked at Jenny. "I'm happy for you that the ladies have made you feel welcome. Have you met Myra yet?"

"Oh yes! How could I have forgotten? She was there when Grace gave us the pie. She's a real sweetheart."

"Yes she is. Her husband probably won't give you or Clayton any trouble, but before they married, he was pretty unpredictable. He still is at times."

"Who is her husband?"

"Hank Lawson."

"The bartender?" Jenny asked with wide, questioning eyes.

"Yes," Michaela replied with a grin. "Somehow they suit each other. Thankfully for the town, he's a better person when he's with her."

"Well, that's good. Sometimes I think wives are always the better halves of their husbands." At that moment, the door opened, and Sully walked in.

"Speaking of husbands," Michaela giggled. Jenny laughed, her cheeks blushing a bit. Sully glanced at Jenny Baker, who put Daniel down on the exam table.

"Afternoon, Sully," she said with a smile. "Dr. Mike, I better be getting over to the mercantile. I need to pick up a few things for dinner this evenin'."

"Alright," Michaela responded. "See you later, Jenny." Jenny left, and Sully closed the door behind her. He walked over to stand beside his wife. She looked up at him to see question in his eyes. "Is something wrong?"

"Nope," he replied. "You ready to go home?"

"Something's wrong, Sully."

"Nothin's wrong. I was just wonderin' why Jenny left so quick."

"Like she said, she had to pick up a few things for dinner. We were talking about husbands."

"Oh, anything interesting I should know?" he asked with a laugh. Michaela stood on her tiptoes to press a quick kiss to his lips.

"No. I love you just the way you are." Sully grinned, pulling Michaela closer to kiss her more passionately.

"You sure about that?" Michaela answered him with a kiss and then a verbal response.

"I'm positive," she answered. They kissed again, and the giggles of two curious boys broke them apart. They looked to find both Connor and Daniel sitting on the exam table, watching their parents and giggling all the while.

"Do you think that's funny?" Sully asked with a laugh, picking Connor up into his arms and holding him above his head. He put the boy back down and began tickling his little belly. The boy's feet began to kick, and his arms flailed about as his little face turned red from laughing so much. Michaela looked at Daniel, who was trying to join his father in tickling his brother, so Michaela began tickling the boy, making him laugh just as loud as his brother.

Once the boys had calmed, Michaela went about the clinic, picking up a few things she needed. One of those things was a small jar full of herbs to brew for morning sickness. Like with the boys, she was getting bouts of it all throughout the day, and she had run out of it at home.

Sully took the boys outside and climbed into the wagon with them. He pulled it around to the front of the wagon, and looked around for Colleen and Brian. Sure enough, they had seen their father pulling the wagon over to the clinic and knew it was time to go home. They climbed up into the back of the wagon and waited with Sully and the boys for Michaela.

Inside the clinic, Michaela was just bending over to pick her medical bag up off of her desk chair. As she leaned forward, she became dizzy and had to grip the edge of the desk to keep her balance. She closed her eyes and slowly lowered herself into her desk chair. The room seemed to be spinning, and she knew this wasn't anything like morning sickness. She hadn't experienced this feeling before, and it was very frightening.

After a minute or two, she felt fine again, and decided to keep this to herself to spare her husband and children from worry. She put the herbs into her medical bag, locked up the clinic, and pulled herself into the wagon. Sully had the feeling that something wasn't right, but the smile on Michaela's face seemed to tell him everything was perfectly normal.

Michaela stepped into her bedroom and sat down on the bed, putting her hand over her flat stomach. She was feeling a bit queasy, so she had excused herself from the dinner table to go lie down. Sully promised to come check on her as soon as he helped Colleen and Brian clean up the dishes.

The boys had been put down for a nap long ago, and Matthew had already come home from seeing Ingrid. The day was slowly winding down, and Michaela felt as if her body was winding down with it.

She groaned as she pulled off her shoes and put them at the foot of the bed. She changed into a nightgown, intending to stay in bed for the rest of the afternoon, knowing from her first pregnancy that she should get all the rest she could. She had to take extra precautions, and she was already worried enough about her previous bout of dizziness.

As she rested against the pillows, she closed her eyes, only hearing the sound of her own heartbeat as she concentrated on relaxing for the baby's sake. She began to picture what her baby would look like, and the first thing that came to mind was her hair and smile. She wondered whether the baby was a boy or a girl, hoped it would be healthy, and found herself smiling when she thought of holding it for the first time.

After about twenty minutes, she opened her eyes when the sound of footsteps coming closer made her turn her head toward the door. She smiled when Sully walked in, hoping he hadn't woken her from a nap.

"Sorry if I woke ya."

"I wasn't sleeping," she replied.

"How are ya feelin'?"

"Better," she said, breathing in a slow, deep breath. She bit her bottom lip, knowing she needed to tell Sully about what happened earlier. "Sully, I need to tell you something." He settled down onto the bed beside her and took her hand in his.

"What is it?"

"Earlier at the clinic before we came home I began to feel dizzy."

"Dizzy?"

"Yes," she said, swallowing hard. "I nearly collapsed, but I held onto the desk for support. The feeling subsided shortly after, but I've never experienced that before."

"Do you think that's somethin' we should be worried about?"

"I'm not sure," Michaela explained. "I would feel better if Dr. Bernard would come out for a consultation."

"I want you to rest tomorrow. It's Sunday, so ya don't gotta go to the clinic."

"But what about church?"

"The folks will understand."

"But they don't even know I'm expecting."

"Well, they don't gotta have a reason that you're feelin' poorly, do they?"

"I suppose not," Michaela replied softly.

"I'll wire for Dr. Bernard as soon as Horace opens the telegraph office in the mornin'."

"Sully thank you," Michaela whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek. Sully kissed her hand.

"You just rest and try to think about good things. I'll go downstairs and tell the kids you're feelin' poorly, and we'll take care of everything 'round the house." Sully got up and started for the door, and Michaela suddenly felt a stabbing pain in her belly. She screamed out.

"Sully!" Sully rushed back to her side, kneeling on the floor and taking her hand in his. Tears were beginning to roll down her cheeks as her free hand pressed against her belly. She began to gasp, and Sully knew something was going terribly wrong.

"What is it? Is it the baby?"

"Oh Sully!" she cried out. She began to sob.

"Michaela?!"

"Sully, I think I'm losing our baby!" Sully felt as if his heart had stopped for a moment. Had she really just said what he thought she'd said? God, it couldn't be true. This couldn't be happening. Everything had been going so well!

"Michaela, try to relax. I'm gonna go get some help."

"There's nothing anyone can do," she cried. "Please. Please just stay with me. Don't leave me!"

"There's nothin'?" Sully asked. Michaela bit her bottom lip as the pain continued. She suddenly remembered something.

"Get Colleen to brew some tea with the herbs I've taught her about. It seems to stop contractions."

"Will it work?" Sully asked. Michaela swallowed hard, knowing the chances were slim to none.

"It has to." Sully kissed Michaela's forehead.

"Colleen!" he shouted, not wanting to leave his wife's side. "Colleen!" Footsteps pounded on the stairs, and three seconds later, Colleen, Matthew, and Brian were entering the room.

"Ma? What is it?" Colleen asked, seeing the pain her mother was in.

"The tea," Michaela whispered. "The tea Cloud Dancing told me about, remember?"

"The one that stops . . ." she stopped herself in realization.

"The herbs are downstairs. Please go brew them. Quickly!" Michaela ordered. Colleen nodded and rushed to do her mother's bidding.

"Ma?" Brian asked worriedly. Matthew realized what was happening.

"Is there anything we can do?" Sully swallowed hard as Michaela began to moan in pain.

"I want you boys to sit by her side. Brian, hold her hand, will ya?" Brian nodded, not knowing what was going on, and took his mother's hand in his.

"Ma, it'll be alright. Colleen will take good care of ya." Sully watched his wife helplessly, not sure of what to say or do to make her feel better. He sat at her side, whispering words of encouragement, hoping that these pains would stop and they would still have their baby safe within Michaela's womb.

Colleen re-appeared a few minutes later with the steaming cup of tea. Michaela held her head up so she could sip at the hot brew. Sully gently massaged Michaela's shoulders, hoping that his touch would be of some comfort.

"It's gonna be alright ma," Colleen promised.

"Do you want me to ride out to the reservation and get Cloud Dancing?"

"Cloud Dancing has nothing else that can help me," Michaela replied after drinking down the last bit of tea. She relaxed against the bed as the pains slowly began to decrease. She knew that she may have just lost her baby, but there was no way of really knowing for sure if the baby was still alive. It was too early to really be able to detect a heartbeat with the stethoscope. Perhaps Dr. Bernard would be able to give her a thorough diagnosis when he arrived. She wished there was something she could do to know for certain, but it would be very hard to examine herself.

Connor began to cry in the other room.

"I'll get him," Matthew said, standing up and starting out of the room. Michaela swallowed hard and looked at Brian and Colleen.

"Will you please go help your brother?"

"Sure," Colleen responded. "Come on, Brian." The two left the room, closing the door behind themselves. Sully took Michaela's hand in his.

"How are ya feelin'?"

"Better," she replied with a weak nod. "Physically, at least."

"Well, the pain stopped. That's a good thing."

"Yes," Michaela replied. "But I have no idea what harm that could have done to the baby. Sully, I don't even know if our baby is still with us."

"But . . ."

"I'm not bleeding at the moment, and that's a good sign," she said with a forced positive smile. Sully felt his heart starting to sink. He was being faced with the possibility of losing another child. Losing Hannah was hard enough, because he lost Abagail in the process. But he didn't think he could take losing another child, especially if it was with Michaela. Being with child put an extra light in Michaela's eyes, and he didn't want to see that light go out.

Myra entered her homestead at five o'clock to find that it was completely empty. She knew that Hank wouldn't be home until late, like usual. The only nights he closed up early were Wednesday nights. On Monday, the saloon was busy because many men had the weekends or at least Sunday off of work, and they just wanted to unwind from a stressful day. Tuesday was usually busy because the men usually had a poker game that would last until midnight. Wednesday always seemed to be pretty tame, but Thursday and Friday brought in the most money. Since it was Saturday, Hank left the bar open until the last drunkard took his stumbling steps out of the door so Hank could close up and count his money. Yes, he had to make a living, but Myra felt so lonesome sometimes, because Hank felt that money would make him more important. He was self-employed, and at the beck and call of every drunkard and gambler in town.

She let out a heavy sigh and found herself to be too tired to fix him a warm meal. She wasn't sure if he'd even be home while it was still hot. She usually ate at Grace's before she helped Grace close up, and she would fix Hank up a plate too. Unfortunately, Grace's had been so busy that there was barely anything left over to eat. Hank would have to make due with the biscuits left over from that morning's breakfast.

She made her way upstairs and into the master bedroom and started a fire in the fireplace. The freshly chopped firewood crackled once the flame from the match began to spread. The old clock in the corner of the room ticked away silently, and Myra found herself captivated by the dancing flames in the fireplace. They reminded her so much of what she wanted to be. Ever since she was a little girl, she had wanted to lead a quick-paced life and cover as much territory as she possibly could in the short amount of time that life permits a person to have.

She'd traveled a distance to get here, but she'd stopped and never continued her journey. But she wasn't disappointed. She had made the best friends she knew she'd ever meet, married the man she loved more than life itself, and had a job that fed her and paid her pretty well. She couldn't ask for anything better.

She let out a sigh and stood up, wondering if Hank would make it home earlier than usual or not. She hoped he wasn't drinking too much, because when that happened, he ended up falling asleep before Myra could even ask him how his day had been.

She was surprised to hear the door open downstairs. It was just barely past five o'clock. What was Hank doing home so early?

"Myra?" his voice asked.

"Upstairs!" she called. Hank's heavy footsteps made their way upstairs. He entered the bedroom and breathed a sigh of relief. "Hank? What on earth are you doin' home so early?"

"A fella came ridin' into town sayin' there was a prowler scarin' ladies out in the country. I wanted to come check to see that you're alright."

"I'm fine. A prowler?"

"Yeah. Apparently he tried to attack the Widow Anderson last night, and I know she's only about six miles away from here."

"I just got home, and I ain't heard a thing."

"I closed up and told the fellas to all get home and check on their wives."

"That's very considerate of you," Myra replied with a smile.

"You sure you're alright?"  
"'Course I am," Myra replied. "I was just a little surprised to see ya home. You can go back to work now if ya want."

"I'm stayin' here."  
"What?"

"If there is a prowler 'round here, I don't want him getting to ya." Myra stood on her tiptoes and kissed Hank.

"I know how to protect myself, Hank. We've got a shotgun on the mantle. I don't want you sittn' around here mopin' cause you ain't at the saloon."

"I ain't gonna do that," Hank promised.

"You mean, you actually want to spend the entire rest of the evening with me?" Myra asked with a grin, pretending to be shocked. Hank rolled his eyes.

"Well, if you don't want me to, I'll leave." He started for the door.

"Hank! Ya gotta learn to know when I'm jokin'," Myra laughed, shaking her head.

"So ya want me to stay?"

"If it'll make ya feel better, then stay," she replied with a sigh and a smile. "Come downstairs with me."

"What for?"

"So we can talk."

"About what?" Hank wondered.

"About anything! We don't get much time to talk with the both of us workin', and you stayin' so late at the saloon."

"But I gotta stay. The later I'm open . . ."

"The more money you'll make, I know," she replied, having heard this at least a hundred times.

"I've said that a lot, huh?" Hank asked with a sheepish grin.

"It's alright. I understand." She took her husband's hand, and they started down the stairs. Once they were seated in front of the fire, Hank tapped his fingers on the armrest of the chair.

"What do ya wanna talk about?"

"How was your day?" she asked to begin with.

"It was alright. A couple fellas got riled up and beat up on each other, but other than that, it was pretty quiet. Won myself a new horse."

"Oh?" Myra asked, trying to sound interested in Hank's gambling, though she didn't exactly support the habit. She knew she couldn't talk him out of doing it though.

"Yep. Sold it to Loren for twenty bucks."

"So, you've got a little extra money on you?"

"Yep. Why?" Hank asked curiously. "There somethin' ya need?"

"Well, more like somethin' I want," Myra explained. She bit her bottom lip nervously. It had been a long time since she had been on a true vacation. She knew that it was hard to afford those kinds of things, but even if they could get away from Colorado Springs for one night or two, it would be better because they could have more time to spend together than usual.

"What did ya have in mind?"

"Well, it'd be nice to get away for a couple days," Myra explained.

"'Cause of the prowler?" Myra sighed and shook her head. Sometimes men just didn't understand!

"No! I'd like to have some time to be alone with ya."

"Oh," Hank replied. He suddenly realized exactly what his wife was talking about. "We're alone now." Myra swallowed hard and shook her head.

"Yeah, I know, but in the mornin' we're gonna be getting up early and goin' on about our day like usual. Can't we just get away from work for a couple days? I already talked to Grace, and she's willin' to give me Monday and Tuesday off of work."

"But Monday and Tuesday are two of my busiest days," Hank replied.

"Oh forget it!" Myra exclaimed. "Sometimes I think you don't understand women at all!" Myra jumped up out of her chair and rushed up the stairs. Hank sat there with a dumbstruck look upon his face for a few moments before getting up to rush after her. By the time he reached their bedroom, Myra had locked the door. He knocked on it.

"Myra?"

"Go away! Leave me alone."

"But what did I say?"

"If you don't know, I'm not going to tell you!" Hank sighed and finally retreated back down the stairs, hoping Myra would calm down enough to at least tell him what he said wrong, so maybe he could fix it.

Michaela was resting when Sully brought in another cup of tea for her. Colleen was downstairs doing her chores with Matthew and Brian, trying to give Michaela and Sully some room.

"Here ya go," he said softly, handing her the cup.

"Thank you," she responded quietly. She took a sip and blinked her eyes as the last of her tears clung to her eyelashes.

"Don't you worry, when Dr. Bernard gets here, we'll get some answers."

"No," Michaela whispered, shaking her head.

"What do you mean, no?"

"Sully, I don't want to bother Dr. Bernard. There'll be nothing he can do if the baby's dead." She looked away, and Sully took her hand in his.

"What are you sayin'?"

"I'm saying that it will be difficult to even know for certain if the baby's still alive. I'm not very far along yet, and only time will tell. If I begin to experience bleeding, then . . ."

"Shh, don't think like that," Sully whispered. "You're sayin' the baby might still be alive?"

"Yes," Michaela said with a nod. A flicker of hope appeared in Sully's eyes. "But I don't want us to get our hopes up. It's possible that . . ."

"Look, we don't know for sure what happened, but the best thing to do is to think positive."

"But Sully, I think we should prepare for the worst."

"I ain't ready to do that, Michaela," Sully replied. "I ain't ready to say goodbye when I haven't even gotten the chance to say hello." Michaela began to cry again.

"Oh Sully, I don't want to lose our baby," she sobbed. "I don't want to think about bad things, but I can't help it. I'm a doctor, and I always have to consider all of the possibilities." She put the teacup aside, and Sully pulled his arms around her. "I blame myself for this."

"Why would this be your fault?" Sully asked. "If it's anybody's it's mine. Maybe we shouldn't have been out in that lake the other day."

"Sully, that had nothing to do with this, I'm sure of it. I haven't been resting as much as I should, so it could have something to do with that."

"You ain't been doin' nothin' ya didn't do when you were carryin' the boys," Sully replied.

"I know," Michaela replied. "But, Sully . . ."

"These things happen, Michaela, but I'm sure that our baby is still safe inside of ya. Maybe she was just givin' her ma and pa somethin' to think about."

"You really want a daughter, don't you?" Michaela asked, gently stroking Sully's cheek.

"I know you do too," he replied, smiling a little.

"You're right. I would love to have a little girl, but a boy would be just as nice." She sighed. "What am I saying?"

"You're sayin' that you still have hope," Sully explained. "I believe our baby's still with us, and I ain't willin' to give up hope. Are you?" Michaela looked up into Sully's eyes, and she knew that both of them were strong, and if they helped one another, they could make almost anything happen. Maybe both of them hoping together would let God know that this baby was loved and wanted by so many people.

"I'm not, Sully," she whispered. Sully kissed Michaela's cheek.

"Good," he replied. "I still want to wire Dr. Bernard."

"Please, Sully, I don't want to bother him. I don't want any confirmations either. I just want to wait. If it's true, I'm not ready to say goodbye either." Sully swallowed the lump in his throat. He knew this was important to Michaela, and he also knew that the only way she could hold onto hope was to wait for any signs of either a miscarriage or the development of the baby. He hoped with everything that he had that their child was still with him. Even his feeling that Michaela was going to have twins again was still strong. He wanted to see Michaela happy, and he knew that she would be devastated if Dr. Bernard was able to confirm a miscarriage. He didn't want to know yet either. He wanted to hold onto the child or children that he hoped was still inside of her, and he wanted to think about all of the good times they still had to look forward to.

The children would be devastated if the baby was lost too. They would be hurting for the loss of their sibling, and for their mother's loss. He knew that seeing them grieve would break Michaela's heart even more. Michaela definitely wasn't the only one who needed to wait. They would wait for their miracle, because Sully knew that everything was going to be fine.

"Alright," he whispered. "We'll wait."


	5. Waiting for a Miracle

**Chapter 5: Waiting for a Miracle**

A week had passed, and Michaela was lying in bed on a Saturday afternoon. She hadn't had any bleeding, but she was still worried that the baby had been harmed or had died. The children had been asked by Jenny and everyone else in town about their mother's condition, but they would simply tell them that she was feeling poorly. Colleen helped with suturing and inoculations at the clinic, and she gave out medicine to those whose symptoms she could recognize.

Grace, who knew of Michaela's condition, had come to spend time with her having just lost a child herself. She knew what kind of pain Michaela was going through, and she knew the feeling must have been intensified due to the fact that they weren't sure the baby was even with them.

Michaela had been feeling so weak and drained lately, and Sully tried his best to keep up with things around the house. He would fix breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and he stayed home with the boys. When anyone would ask what was wrong with Michaela, he would simply answer that she was feeling poorly and resting comfortably at home.

But Michaela felt as if she was going to go out of her mind. She was still having morning sickness and cravings, which everyone was taking as a good sign, but she still couldn't help but worry. Perhaps her mind was playing tricks on her, and her body still thought she was pregnant.

She was becoming increasingly frustrated. Her mood swings were out of control, and one moment, she could be crying and the next, yelling at Sully for not being in the room when she needed him. Sully felt as if he was being pulled in fifteen different directions, but he also knew that he needed to be there for his wife.

Today, Sully was just fixing Michaela some herbal tea in the kitchen when a knock came to the door. Wolf and Pup rushed to the door but didn't bark. They had been trained to keep quiet in case of an intruder. Sully called them over.

"It's open," he called. Myra opened the door and smiled at Sully.

"Afternoon, Sully," she said with a smile. "Grace fixed up a basket of food for Dr. Mike. Mind if I take 'em up to her?"

"I'm sure she'd like the company," Sully replied with a smile. "Go on up." Myra climbed the stairs, and walked down the hall toward Michaela and Sully's room. She knocked on the door.

"Sully?" came Michaela's weak voice. She poked her head in.

"Nope, it's me," Myra replied. "Hope you're up for some company." Michaela gave a weak smile.

"Hello Myra," she whispered. Myra immediately noticed how very pale Michaela looked. Dark circles had formed under her eyes, and several handkerchiefs were scattered on the bed and nightstand.

"I heard you were feelin' poorly, so I thought I'd come see ya. Grace sent somethin' to eat."

"Thank you. I'll try to eat later," Michaela replied. Myra put the food to the side and sat down in a chair near the bed.

"I hope ya start feelin' better soon. Folks are really missin' ya in town."

"I miss them all too," Michaela replied, tears starting to form in her eyes again. She decided to take her mind off of her own worries for a while. "How are things with you and Hank?" Myra sighed heavily and shook her head.

"I ain't talked to in a week."

"What? What happened?"

"He came home early last Saturday sayin' there was a prowler around. Well, I was hintin' at getting away for a few days. Well, he didn't take the hint, and I sorta got mad at him. Now he feels bad, but I can't bring myself to face him 'cause I'm embarrassed."

"I'm sorry, Myra," Michaela said, shaking her head. "I'm sure you'll work things out sooner or later." Myra nodded.

"I think you're right. I overheard some of the fellas talkin'. They were sayin' that Hank's thinkin' of takin' a day or so off next month." She smiled a little. "I feel bad, but I'm so tired of never getting to spend time with him."

"I understand," Michaela replied. She let herself smile a little. Myra put her hand over Michaela's.

"When will ya be comin' back to town?"

"I'm not sure," Michaela replied. "Possibly in a couple of weeks."

"If ya wanna tell me what's goin' on, I'll be here to listen." Michaela took a deep breath, knowing that she could trust Myra. Myra wasn't one to spread gossip, and Michaela knew she could tell her this delicate piece of news. She sucked in a sharp breath.

"I may have had a miscarriage," she whispered. Myra's jaw dropped a little, and her eyes went wide.

"I didn't even know you were expectin', Dr. Mike. That's awful! I'm so sorry," Myra whispered.

"Please don't say anything to anyone. Grace knows, and so does my family, but I'm not ready to talk about it with anyone else yet."

"'Course I won't say nothin'. You can count on me." Michaela took Myra's hand in hers and gripped it for a moment.

"Thank you."

"When did this happen?"

"Last Saturday," Michaela replied, breathing heavily. "I didn't experience any bleeding, but I'm not sure if the baby survived or not."

"Oh, Dr. Mike, I'm so sorry. When will you know for sure?"

"Well, I'm still experiencing the symptoms of pregnancy, but it could be false hopes. I'll know for sure in a couple of weeks or so."

"Is there anything I can do to help you and Sully out?" Myra asked softly. Michaela sighed heavily.

"I'm afraid there's nothing that any of us can do but wait."

"Well, if it'd help, me and Hank can take the kids to our place for a couple days."

"Thank you Myra, but, I need to be with my family now."

"I understand," Myra replied softly. The sound of the downstairs door opening got their attention. "Sounds like their home."

"Yes," Michaela replied with a distant smile.

"I best be getting into town. Don't worry though. I won't say anything about this."

"Thank you for sitting with me, Myra," Michaela replied gratefully.

"Hey, it was no problem. I'll come visit again real soon. I'll tell the folks in town that you just ain't feelin' up to comin' into town. Colleen's doin' a real fine job of helping people. Ain't heard no complaints yet."

"That's good," Michaela replied softly. "Thank you again." Myra nodded and left the room. Michaela looked into the picnic basket and found some of Grace's meatloaf. Michaela felt her stomach growl, and her mouth started to water. She began to eat, and just as she was finishing up, Sully came into the room with a fresh cup of tea.

"Hey. How was your visit with Myra?"

"It was good," Michaela replied softly. "I told her what's going on. She looked so worried, and I couldn't keep it bottled in.

"That's understandable." Michaela accepted the cup of tea, but took only a sip before she set it aside.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm sick of sitting in bed. I've done nothing but that since last Saturday."

"I know," Sully replied, "but it won't be much longer."

"Sully, listen to me, I need to get out of this bed. Just for a few minutes. I need to stand up and stretch my legs."

"Is that safe?"

"I've never heard of stretching to be fatal," Michaela replied with a sarcastic smirk. Sully knew Michaela was moody, and she knew that was because their child was still safe and healthy inside of her. However, Michaela was the doctor, and if she was recommending getting out of bed for a few minutes, he knew he couldn't refuse her that right. This woman who was naturally dependent, was helplessly confined to lying in bed all day and night with nothing to do but relax.

"Alright," Sully replied with a slight smile. He helped Michaela get out of bed, and once she was standing, she had to grab Sully's arm to keep from falling. "Michaela?"

"I'm just a little dizzy."

"You should get back in bed."

"No, no, I'm just dizzy because I haven't been up and about for a week. Just give me a moment." Michaela leaned her head on Sully's shoulder for a minute, trying to let her nausea pass. Once she was feeling better, she began to walk around the room. Sully never took his eyes off of her seeing as he was concerned about her and the baby. He knew Michaela was too, but he didn't blame her for needing to get up and move around for a little bit. "Sully?" she asked him a few moments later.

"Yeah?"

"I'd like to go downstairs and see the children."

"Ya can't climb down the stairs. The kids can come up here."

"Sully, I really want to go sit downstairs and relax by the fire," Michaela replied, her eyes pleading with him, though she knew that it wasn't a good idea to go down the stairs in her current condition. She was silently hoping Sully would offer to carry her down, though she didn't want to ask.

As if he was reading her mind, Sully scooped her up into his arms and started out into the hall. Michaela's arms craned around Sully's neck as he carried her downstairs. Michaela felt like an invalid or something. She couldn't do anything right now as it could endanger the baby, which she wasn't altogether certain was still alive. But she had to keep hoping. That's what she had been doing for the past week.

"Ma!" Brian said happily. Sully placed Michaela down in a chair in front of the fire.

"Hello," Michaela replied with a beaming smile. Sully noticed how Michaela's face lit up when she saw her children.

"How are you feelin'?" Colleen asked.

"Much better," she replied with a grin. "How were things in town?"

"Good. I had to stitch up Reverend Johnson's finger, 'cause he cut it tryin' to fix a broken rail on the church steps. Everything else seemed fine."

"I bought some gumdrops at Mr. Bray's store," Brian said with a smile. Colleen rolled her eyes.

"And I had to give him something for that stomach ache he got after eating all of it."

"Brian, what have I told you about eating too much candy?" Michaela scolded.

"I know," he replied. "But I couldn't help it! He was sellin' 'em half price."

"Loren was?" Michaela asked with mild shock in her voice.

"Yeah. He said the candy was getting stale and nobody was buyin' it. I didn't think it was bad though." Michaela laughed again, and Sully noticed how much better Michaela seemed to feel by merely being in the same room with the children. Maybe her not being in bed right now was the best thing. They still needed to be cautious, but things seemed to be going well so far. He didn't think there was any reason to think otherwise.

Connor started to cry upstairs, and Sully snapped out of his concentration long enough to go get him. Michaela hadn't been feeling well enough to nurse the boys for the past week, so Sully had been getting them acquainted with other solids, and the boys were starting to accept those as a substitute for their mother's breast. Michaela felt as if she had let her boys down by not giving them the proper nutrition they were entitled to. But, Sully was taking care of getting them accustomed to meats and vegetables. Much to everyone's surprise, both boys liked their vegetables, when they were mashed into soft solids of course.

"Ma?" Colleen asked as she sat down to peel apples for the apple pie she wanted to make for dessert.

"Hmm?" Michaela asked as she watched her daughter's movements.

"When will you and pa know for sure about the baby?" Colleen asked.

"Hopefully within a week or two," Michaela replied softly, knowing she couldn't shy away from her children's questions. She always tried to be honest with them, and sometimes, painfully so.

"I think the baby's alright," Matthew spoke up. Michaela glanced over at him. "You're still feelin' sick, you're tire, and you're still . . ."

"Moody!" Brian chimed in.

"Brian!" Colleen scolded.

"Oh right, I wasn't supposed to say that." On the way home from town, the children had talked about how they were supposed to make their mother feel better. Moody was one of the words Brian was instructed not to use. Michaela had to grin at her son's blunt honesty.

"You're right. I have been moody lately," she replied. "We'll have to wait and see." Michaela sighed heavily, and the children felt bad about bringing up the subject. But, Michaela knew that it had to be discussed, and she didn't want her children to feel like they had to be on their toes while around her. "It's alright. I don't want you children to be afraid to ask questions. If this has indeed happened, it's a part of life."

"But it ain't fair," Brian replied.

"I know," Michaela replied.

"Ma, you're a doctor," Matthew said softly. "Why don't you know for sure?"

"I suppose I do know," Michaela admitted, not knowing that Sully was now standing on the bottom step of the stairs with Connor in his arms. Brian looked at his mother curiously.

"You do?"

"Your father is certain that the baby's alright, and he's not even the one carrying it," she chuckled a little. "I know in my heart that everything is alright, but I suppose my brain is trying to be smart and prepare for the worst. I keep talking myself out of hoping too much, but my body and my heart are both telling me that everything is fine and that I should relax and not worry. The truth is, a mother always worries about her children, no matter if they're five or thirty or not even born yet. Worrying is what I'm best at right now, I suppose."

"I'm sure everything's fine, ma," Colleen said with a smile.

Sure enough, May brought happy news for all. Michaela's belly began to expand, and everyone was relieved that the Sully baby was still safe inside its mother. The townsfolk now knew of the doctor's condition, and she was back to work, making sutures, cleansing wounds and making people feel better.

Sully was going back to the reservation daily, and the children were getting ready for a break from school for the summer. Matthew was getting more and more frustrated, because he was trying to keep his grades high enough to get accepted to a university in Denver. He and Ingrid were officially engaged and planning to marry in August. Ingrid had already made plans for her brother Jon to take care of their little sisters while she and Matthew moved to Denver. She promised him they would take care of the girls once Matthew was finished with college and law school, which would probably take a total of eight to ten years.

Michaela would get emotional every time Matthew would mention going off to school. She knew he had to do it, and she was happy that he was going to further his education, but she was also very sad that her oldest son was going away. She felt that she hadn't had enough time with him yet. He wouldn't even be there when his little brother or sister was born.

Sully had already begun making another cradle. He had made one for when Early Sun was there, but it didn't feel right giving it to another baby. Early Sun still had a place in their hearts and in their home, though she was back with her true parents.

He was only making one new cradle for the time being, though he was still convinced that his wife was going to have twins again. She was barely in her second month and showing the tiniest bit. He didn't want to say that to her though, because her mood swings would surely fly through the roof for that one. He was certain she would accuse him of calling her fat.

The cravings would come and go throughout the weeks, but every time Michaela would have one, it would be something that Sully could barely stomach. He had seen people eating garbage off of the streets before, and he had been able to handle that, but when Michaela mixed milk, stew, and apple jam into a bowl to eat, that was just too much. This was just the beginning, he was sure, because Michaela's cravings seemed to get worse throughout the pregnancy with the boys.

It was a sunny Wednesday, and the children were at school, working through their last unit of the year. They would be getting a couple of months off once the end of May hit, and they would start back to school in September.

Michaela had gone along with Sully to the reservation. They had planned to bring Connor and Daniel, who were two very happy, lively eight month olds, but their plans had changed for their own protection

Cloud Dancing was off on a vision quest, and Snow Bird was left tending to Early Sun who had developed an illness. Michaela knew she had to be careful with the boys, seeing as they were so young, and their immune systems weren't very strong yet.

Michaela and Sully were as worried as parents could be about the little girl. They considered her to be a daughter to them, though her rightful parents were Cloud Dancing and Early Sun. Cloud Dancing was considered to be the children's Cheyenne father, because they learned things from him that they couldn't learn from anyone else. Cloud Dancing had expressed his interest in having Michaela and Sully teach Early Sun some of their ways, though she would only practice Cheyenne customs.

"I hope Early Sun's alright," Michaela said softly as the wagon rounded a bend and drew closer to the reservation.

"I'm sure you'll get her fixed up just fine."

"From what Cloud Dancing told me, it sounds as if she's suffering from some sort of food poisoning. But that can't be possible."

"Why not?"

"Snow Bird is still breastfeeding her, and the only other food she's eaten has been eaten by some of the other Cheyenne. None of them are sick."

"Maybe it ain't food poisonin'," Sully replied.

"The symptoms could be of influenza, but I won't know for sure until I give her a proper examination."

"This ain't somethin' that will harm you or the baby is it?" Sully asked apprehensively.

"It doesn't sound to be," Michaela replied. "I highly doubt it's influenza, because none of the other Cheyenne are sick with the same symptoms."

"I just want ya to be careful," Sully warned.

"Sully, I'm a doctor, and I never know when I'm going to come into contact with a contagious person. That's a risk I take everyday, and thank God I've had several vaccinations against diseases in the past. I suppose that's something I've done to contribute to the health of our child." Sully gently reached over to put his hand on Michaela's slight bump. "And since we've gotten married, I've given you those same vaccinations along with the children."

They reached the reservation about fifteen minutes later. Snow Bird was standing outside of he teepee with Early Sun in her arms. The child was dressed in nothing but a pair of tiny leather moccasins. Snow Bird was dripping water over her belly, trying to keep her cool. She had developed a terrible fever.

"Medicine Woman, thank you for coming," Snow Bird said gratefully. Michaela nodded and gestured for them to go inside of the teepee. She and Sully joined the Cheyenne woman with the child inside of their home. Michaela took Early Sun into her arms.

"Hello little one," she whispered. The nearly one-year-old looked up at Michaela and smiled a little, recognizing her. But her smile quickly faded and she began to scream as her fever began to escalate. Michaela took her temperature, and a look of alarm appeared on her face.

"Is it bad?"

"She doesn't have all of the symptoms of influenza, and that's good news. But the bad news is that her temperature is almost fatally high."

"Can you save her?" Snow Bird asked softly, tears forming in her eyes.

"I want her to come into the clinic for further testing."

"Will she survive the ride into town?" Sully wondered. Michaela swallowed hard.

"I'm not sure," she whispered. "It seems as if some kind of bacteria has begun to form. Her belly is slightly distended as if she was malnourished, but that isn't the case. I believe she has poison or bacteria of some sort in her system. I can give her medicines to try to get rid of it, but she's so young, and her immune system is very weak now."

"How did this happen?" Snow Bird asked, taking her little girl into her arms.

"What has she eaten in the past twenty four hours?"

"Only milk, the little she could keep down."

"The last time she kept it down, had you had anything to eat?"

"Just beef."

"Beef?" Sully wondered. "How did the hunting party find beef when the buffalo are being killed off by the railroad?" Snow Bird looked away.

"If you're protecting someone, this could mean life or death for Early Sun." Snow Bird sighed heavily.

"The Dog Soldiers stole a cow from a farm nearby."

"The nearest farm is the Garvey Ranch. Old Ike Garvey tends to poison his older cows out in the pasture in case they're stolen."

"Then why am I not ill?"

"It's possible that the bacteria didn't effect you or there was so little that your immune system could fight it off. You have permitted me to give you some vaccinations, but Early Sun hasn't had any of those. Her immune system is much weaker, and if that bacteria passed through your milk, it would have passed into her."

"I did this to my daughter?" Snow Bird asked, horrified. Michaela pulled out a spoon and gently poured some sort of medicine into it. She gave it to the baby and looked at Snow Bird.

"What can we do for her?" Snow Bird asked.

"Make her comfortable," Michaela replied. "I see now that she is much too weak to survive a trip into town."

"We can't just let her die," Sully spoke up. "There has to be some kind of herb or . . ."

"Please do something for her! I do not want to lose another child!" Snow Bird pleaded. Michaela's heart went out to her. She knew exactly how the Cheyenne woman felt. Just a couple of week ago, she had thought she'd lost one of her children, and she felt as if she was losing a child this time as well. Early Sun had been a part of their home for several months.

"Keep giving her water," Michaela said slowly. "Perhaps we can flush the bacteria out. Other than that, there is not much I can do except administer this medicine every hour. The three sat with the child the rest of the afternoon in evening, praying that Early Sun would survive this terrible sickness.

Michaela and Sully returned to the homestead late that night. Colleen, Brian, and the twins had been sleeping for hours, while Matthew had stayed up to work on his studies. Wolf and Pup were sprawled out in front of the door, and when Sully pushed it open, he scooted both dogs along slowly.

Michaela walked in ahead of him, and put her medical bag down on the table. Matthew looked up at them with tired eyes.

"How's Early Sun?"

"She pulled through, thank God," Michaela whispered. "But she was lucky. We nearly lost her."

"Thank God ya didn't," Matthew replied.

"It's late."

"I know. I'm almost finished."

"I'm exhausted, so will you put out the lamps when you go up to bed?" Michaela asked.

"Sure ma," he replied, kissing her cheek. "G'nite, Sully."  
"Night, Matthew," Sully answered, putting his hand on the small of Michaela's back and following her upstairs. Once they were in their room, they removed their clothes, changed, and crawled into bed. Michaela hadn't been feeling very romantic lately, and Sully didn't blame her. Plus, he was afraid to touch her because of what had happened just a couple of short weeks ago. Both of them knew that this phase would pass, and they could take comfort in each other's arms.

"C'mere," Sully whispered, pulling his arms around his wife. "You doin' alright?"

"Mmm," she whispered, resting her head on his chest. "Thank you for standing by me today. I think having you there helped me."

"How's that?"

"I'm not sure," she replied. "But having you there with me seemed to give me some reassurance that it was going to be alright. Those few crazy weeks that I spent wondering and hoping wouldn't have been easy if you hadn't been there. I'm not saying it was easy by any means, but it helped to know that you were certain everything was alright."

"And I was right, wasn't I?"

"Thank God you were." Michaela let out a yawn, and Sully stroked her soft hair. "You still think you're right about the baby, don't you?"  
"Yep," Sully replied with a chuckle. Michaela shook her head and smiled a little.

"Well, if it's true, you better get started on another cradle." Michaela put her hand on her belly. "Oh Sully, I still can't believe it."

"Believe it," Sully replied, leaning in to kiss her soft lips. "'Cause it's happenin'. In about seven months, we're gonna be parents again."

"You're right," Michaela replied, relaxing in Sully's arms again. "I always wanted a family like this, Sully, but I never imagined how wonderful it could be." She smiled a little at her memories.

"What?" Michaela bit her bottom lip.

"Oh, it's nothing."

"C'mon. Tell me?"

"Well, alright. It's silly though, so I'm warning you now."

"Try me." Sully sat up in bed, and Michaela sat up beside him. She had an amused look in her eyes, so he knew that this was something he hadn't heard before.

"Well, before I met you, I was always focusing on my career as a doctor, and I never had time to make plans to have a family. But at night, or sometimes when I couldn't concentrate, a thought would always slip into my mind."

"What kinda thought?" Michaela's eyes sparkled as she related this story.

"I always thought, or perhaps I wished it, I'm not quite sure. I would wish that a man from far away would come and sweep me off into the mountains. I guess my wish came true."

"And are ya satisfied now that it's come true?" Michaela turned to face him, putting her hand gently against his cheek.

"More and more so each day," she whispered. She placed a gentle kiss upon his lips. When she pulled away and looked into his eyes, she saw so much love that it nearly overpowered her. She wanted to make love with him now, more than ever, but she wasn't sure what Sully would think. He had been so gentle with her since the near-miscarriage, and she understood why. He was worried about both her and the baby, and frankly, so was she. But she was worried about her husband too. She didn't want him to feel neglected. "Sully, I'm sorry I haven't been feeling romantic lately. I've just been so tired from all of that rest I've gotten." She laughed softly and traced her finger along Sully's jaw line. She missed Sully, and she needed to convince him that this was going to be fine. Sully pulled her hand away and kissed it tenderly.

"That's alright. You gotta rest," he replied softly. "We don't have to do this yet."

"But," she started. Sully pulled her into a kiss.

"Don't worry. I ain't feelin' neglected or anything."

"I'm glad to hear that," she replied, thinking he had taken the words right out of her head. "But, I've been missing you." She felt her cheeks grow hot and looked away. Sully smiled a little. "I'm not going to stoop so low as to beg." She gathered back the bed sheets and got out of bed, storming across the room to add another log to the fire. Sully knew Michaela's hormones were on edge, and he knew she was now upset with him.

"Michaela . . ."

"I'm not going to break, Sully! I'm fine, and so is the baby."

"I don't doubt that, Michaela. I'm just worried 'bout ya is all."

"Maybe it isn't that. Maybe I'm just getting too fat!" she exclaimed, tears on the edge of her eyes. Sully jumped out of bed and hurried over to the fireplace. He pulled Michaela around gently to face him.

"Hey, you listen to me. You ain't fat. You're beautiful, and you know it. Michaela, how many times do I gotta tell ya that I think you're the most amazing, beautiful woman I've ever met?"

"No I'm not," she whispered. Sully tilted her chin up so he could look into his wife's beautiful eyes.

"Yes you are. Don't ever let yourself thing otherwise." He pulled Michaela into a smoldering kiss, and a few moments later, they were wrapped into each other's arms, tumbling towards the bed. Sully pulled away for a moment. "You sure the baby's fine?"

"I'm sure," Michaela whispered, biting her bottom lip.

"Please tell me if you start to feel bad, Michaela." Michaela pulled Sully into another kiss, and he gently laid her upon the bed. How could she feel bad when she was in the arms of the man she loved?


	6. Dreams

**Chapter 6: Dreams**

Brian stared up at the gumdrop jar with a sparkle in his eyes. He had accompanied his mother into town to pick up a few supplies. He had promised Michaela he wouldn't beg for candy if he could come with her, but now he found that the candy was just too hard to resist. He looked over at his mother, hoping she'd see the desperation in his face, but she was too consumed in a conversation with Dorothy and Olive, who by the way, had to work out a living arrangement since Olive's return. Brian could hear them discussing how Dorothy had moved into the boarding house so Olive could have Abagail's room to sleep in. After all, Olive was kin.

Brian was about to ask Mr. Bray if he could sneak some gumdrops anyway, but he was distracted.

"Psst!" Brian looked over to see Anthony and Mary standing out on the porch. He looked over to see his mother laughing with Dorothy and Olive, knowing that it was good that his mother and Miss Olive were working out their differences.

He decided she wouldn't be finished for a while, so he walked out onto the porch.

"What's goin' on?" Brian asked his friends.

"We're goin' fishin' down at Willow Creek. Ya wanna come with us?" Anthony asked.

"I'll have to ask my ma," Brian replied. "She says we're havin' company over tonight. Jenny and Clayton are comin' over for dinner. She won't want me to go get all dirty."

"We'll I already asked Miss Grace, and Mary asked Horace. C'mon. Just go ask her."

"She'll say no," Brian replied.

"Well, she don't have to know," Mary said with a grin.

"I'll get in trouble."

"Please come with us? It won't be no fun if you ain't there," Anthony pleaded. Brian swallowed hard and decided there would be no harm in going fishing for a few minutes. He wouldn't stay out long, so he could get cleaned up before dinner.

"Well, alright. Just for a little while."

"We got a fishin' pole and everything for ya," Mary said with a smile. The three rushed off toward Willow Creek, and Michaela was none the wiser.

Inside the mercantile, Loren was dusting off the counter after having sold a sack of flour, which had been leaking a bit. He grumbled something under his breath as he did so. Olive heard him and simply shook her head.

"I really should be getting home. Matthew's off at the ranch, Colleen's busy doing homework at Becky's, and I left Sully in charge of the boys, who are becoming more and more rambunctious each day. I'm afraid of what trouble they're going to get into when they start walking," Michaela laughed.

"Oh just wait till they start growin' up," Dorothy laughed, shaking her head. "They're gonna get into all kinds of things."

"Oh, don't you worry, Dr. Mike," Olive replied. "With those three older ones you've got, they're gonna have lots of good examples. Matthew, Colleen, and Brian are all fine children."

"Speakin' of Brian, where'd he go?" Loren wondered, looking over at the candy jars. "He was just over there a minute ago." Michaela immediately became alarmed.

"Brian?!" she called out. Myra came walking into the store. "Myra, have you seen Brian?"

"Sure did. I just saw him runnin' out towards the woods with Anthony and Mary. I think they had fishin' poles." Michaela sighed heavily.

"Thank you Myra." She looked at Olive and Dorothy. "We're having company for supper, and he knew that. I distinctly told him this morning that we had to get home right after visiting the mercantile." She shook her head.

"What were you sayin' about those children?" Dorothy asked Olive, raising an eyebrow.

"Brian's never done nothin' like this before, has he?" Olive wondered. "I never knew him to directly disobey anybody."

"Well," Michaela began, "shortly after Sully and I had Connor and Daniel, Brian grew jealous and acted out as a result. He ran off and went to my mother and father's house." She shook her head. "I should be getting home. I'll send Sully out to get him." Michaela quickly paid Loren for her supplies instead of having him credit it to her account. She rushed out of the mercantile, got into the wagon, and started toward the homestead.

The house was quiet since everyone in the family was off doing something except for Sully and the boys. Sully had grown bored, and was trying to keep himself entertained. The boys were have a wonderful time. They were laughing and giggling as their father made faces at them.

"I'm glad you two are havin' fun," he said with a laugh. He stuck his tongue out at them, and both boys did the same thing. They had begun mimicking their parents' facial expressions lately, and sometimes it was highly laughable, because they would mimic the looks upon their mother's face when she was frustrated during a mood swing.

"Dada!" Daniel cried out with a giggle. Sully laughed and scooped both boys into his arms. He stood and started toward the stairs. He walked up to the boys' room and put them down in their beds. They had grown too big for their cradles, so those had been stored in the barn. Sully realized that he could re-use those cradles for the new baby, or babies as far as he was concerned. The cradle he had been making had gotten a large split in the base of it.

"You two don't mind me givin' these cradles to your new sisters do ya?" Sully asked. Connor grinned and pointed up at his father. "See, your ma don't believe me when I tell her I think it's gonna be two girls. I've been havin' all these dreams lately, and most of the time, your ma is havin' two little girls. I don't tell her about 'em, 'cause I know she's worried enough about givin' birth to the one baby. She's been through a lot already, and I don't want her to go frettin'. But between the three of us, I'm pretty sure we're gonna have two more girls in the house by Christmas."

Sully heard the wagon approaching, and he knew his wife was home.

"You two have a good nap." He left the room, closing the door behind himself. He walked downstairs just in time to see his wife storming through the front door. At first he thought it was a mood swing. "Michaela?"

"We have a serious problem," she replied, crossing her arms and stopping just in front of him.

"Did I do somethin'?"  
"No," she answered. "Remember this morning when I told Brian we had to come straight home after going to the mercantile?"  
"Yeah."

"Well, while I was at the mercantile, Brian ran off with Anthony and Mary to go fishing." Sully swallowed hard and immediately regretted what he said next.

"So?" Michaela raised and eye brow and then put her hands on her hips.

"So?!" Michaela asked. "He directly disobeyed me!" Sully cleared his throat and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Don't you think you're makin' a little too much out of this?"

"I think I'm making it out to be exactly the way it is!" Michaela replied angrily. "You actually don't care that our son ran off to go fishing without telling me, after I told him we had to go straight home?"

"I think he's growin' up, and he needs to do stuff with his friends," Sully pointed out.

"So it's alright with you that he ran off like he did?"

"No, he should have asked you first. But I'm just saying that I think you're overreacting."

"Overreacting?!" Michaela yelled. "I'm sorry if my being worried about our son is overreacting in your opinion!" She stormed up the stairs, and Sully heard the bedroom door slam behind her. He sighed, waited ten seconds, and started up the stairs to try to calm his wife down. He knew from previous experiences that it took approximately ten seconds for Michaela to fight off the urge to cry, so by the time he reached the bedroom she would have calmed down just enough to hear him out.

Once he stood before their bedroom door, he could hear her blowing her nose on a handkerchief. Yes, it was time to go in. He rapped on the door and slowly turned the knob, opening it.

"Mind if I come in?"

"Why not? You built this house," she replied as she took a seat on the edge of the bed. Sully sighed and sat down next to his wife.

"I should have been more sensitive to your feelings."

"You're patronizing me, aren't you?"

"Michaela, hear me out." She was silent, so he figured it was safe to continue. "You're right. He shouldn't have gone fishin' today. He knows we're havin' guests, but he went anyway. But, you can't keep him on a leash. He's growin' up."

"He's not even ten-year-old, Sully," Michaela replied, shaking her head.

"But he will be real soon. I'm just sayin' that he probably wouldn't have gone off like that if you'd let him do things like that more often."

"What are you talking about? He goes fishing all the time."

"With me or with Colleen and Matthew. Ya gotta let him spend more time with his friends." Michaela swallowed hard and nodded her head.

"You're right," she whispered. Sully hadn't expected that.

"I'm what?" he asked with a grin.

"Oh, you heard me," Michaela replied. Sully knew she hated to say that. Sully smiled and kissed his wife's hand.

"See, that wasn't so hard to say. But I'm sorry too. You were right that Brian shouldn't have disobeyed you. I'm sure he thought you wouldn't mind." Michaela shrugged.

"Well, Jenny and Clayton will be here in three hours. I need go downstairs and start dinner. Colleen should be home soon to help me."

"I'll help ya till she gets here. The boys are down for their nap anyway."  
"Thank you," Michaela replied, kissing his cheek. She took his hand and led him out into the hall and down the stairs. They started to prepare dinner, and Sully couldn't help but sneak kisses to his wife every chance he got. He found her irresistible when she was happy, and now that she was pregnant, she had that glow about her again.

Once the food was on the stove and in the oven, Michaela cleaned her hands off and turned to see Sully staring out the window.

"Is something on your mind?" Sully turned from the window and walked over toward his wife.

"Nothin' important."

"You know you can tell me."

"I know," he replied with a smile. "I was just thinkin' about how lucky we are to have the kids we've got."

"And the one on the way."  
"Two," Sully corrected. Michaela rolled her eyes.

"You're still sure about that, aren't you?"

"Yep," he replied.

"Tell me why," Michaela replied. Sully sighed heavily. He hadn't intended to tell his wife about his dreams, but the way she was looking at him made him want to tell her everything.

"Alright," he replied. He led her over to one of the wing-backed chairs and sat down. Michaela sat down on his lap, draping her legs over the arm of the chair. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and Sully's hand caressed her knee as his other rubbed her back.

"I've been havin' dreams at night," he explained.

"Dreams? What kind of dreams?"

"Well, in each dream, all the kids are there with me, and we're waiting for news of the birth. The doctor comes out and says we have two girls. Each dream is the same but a little different. In each dream, we have twin girls."

"That doesn't mean anything, Sully. Your mind could just be giving you these dreams, because you know you want two little girls." Sully shrugged.

"Ya never know."

"To be honest, I've been having dreams at night as well. In my dreams, I always have a little girl."

"Just one?"  
"Yeah."  
"Well, I s'pose we'll have to wait 'til December to see which of us is right," Sully concluded.

"But you're forgetting one important thing."  
"What's that?"

"It could be a boy."

"I still think it's a girl."

"If it's not?"

"It will be."

"But if it's not," Michaela asked softly, running her fingers through his curly locks.

"If it's not a girl, I still be just as happy as I am right now," he replied. He cupped her face in his hands and gave her a reassuring kiss. "But I'm sure it's a girl." Michaela laughed again and heard a horse approaching.

"That must be Colleen," she replied. Colleen had become quite skilled at horseback riding with the help of her big brother and Sully. Michaela stood and smoothed out her skirt.

"If ya want, I'll go get Brian and bring him home."

"That would be nice. Thank you," Michaela replied. She bent down to kiss Sully before going to stir the stew on the stove. Sully started out the door and smiled when he saw his daughter stabling her mother's horse. She didn't have her own yet, but Sully planned on buying her one for her fourteenth birthday. Luckily, the children all had birthday's very close together. Brian would be turning ten in early June, Colleen would be fourteen in late June, and Matthew would be seventeen in early July. It was hard to believe how quickly they were growing up. Sully only hoped that he would have another daughter like Colleen to watch grow up. He was sure that any blood daughter of his and Michaela's would surely look like her ma.

"Hey pa," Colleen greeted her father.

"Hey. You get your homework done?"

"Sure did. Becky and I are gonna study again tomorrow after school," she said with a smile. Sully smiled, realizing that his daughter had started to speak more like Michaela. Michaela would sometimes correct the children when they didn't speak properly, but Colleen had picked up on the habit of speaking correctly a lot more quickly that Matthew and Brian had. It was interesting to see this slow transformation. She would be going off to college in a few years, and Sully was sure she would turn out a lot like Michaela.

"Alright. Make sure you tell your ma. I'm goin' off to find your brother."

"Which one?"

"Brian," Sully replied. "He took off and went fishin' without tellin' your ma."

"Is she mad?" Colleen asked worriedly, knowing that Michaela's mood swings came and went unexpectedly.

"She's fine now," Sully promised. "Go on inside." Sully brought his horse out of the barn, hopped onto his back, and started off, figuring the boy had gone to Willow Creek since it was nearest to town. Pup and Wolf both started after him, and were soon leading the way.

As Sully rode, he listened for signs of the children's laughter, and before too long, he could hear Brian's distinct laugh.

He dismounted his horse and let him graze for a bit.

"Stay boys," Sully whispered to the dogs. Pup and Wolf obediently sat upon the ground to await Sully's return. Sully hid himself behind a large pine tree, and he saw Anthony and Mary laughing as Brian sat on his bottom in the creek. Brian was laughing too.

"Sorry Brian," Anthony said with a chuckle. "Didn't mean to laugh. I think that fish was bigger than you."

"I best be getting home," Brian replied, standing up and walking out of the creek. "My ma's probably mad."

"You're right," Sully spoke up, revealing himself to the children.

"Pa!" Brian exclaimed. "What are you doin' here?"

"I came to get ya. Your ma was awful mad when ya left without tellin' her. She told ya that we were havin' company this mornin'. Ya didn't listen to her."

"I'm sorry pa. I just wanted to have some fun," Brian said, looking honestly guilty.

"I ain't the one you gotta be apologizin' to. When we get home, I suggest that you talk to your ma about this."

"I will," Brian replied, looking down. "Anthony, Mary, you two best be getting home too."

"We were just goin', Mr. Sully," Anthony said quickly.

"Well, get your things. I'll take you two back into town before we head home."

By the time Sully and Brian had arrived home, Jenny and Clayton had already arrived and dinner was being placed upon the table. Matthew was helping Michaela put Connor and Daniel into two high chairs, specially made by Sully. Colleen and Jenny were placing the stew, biscuits, and chicken upon the table.

"Thank goodness you're home," Michaela said sternly, looking at Brian. "Go upstairs and get yourself cleaned up."

"Yes ma," Brian replied. Sully walked over to kiss his wife.

"We had a long talk," Sully said quietly.

"About?"

"About how he won't be doin' that again without tellin' ya."

"Thank you, Sully," Michaela replied with a smile.

Once everyone was served and seated at the table, dinner began. Clayton and Sully were talking while Michaela and Jenny talked excitedly about the baby on the way. Jenny expressed how she couldn't wait to start a family with Clayton, but with the new teaching job, she thought she could wait a year or so before having a baby.

Matthew and Colleen helped Connor and Daniel, who quite enjoyed the stew. Their food had to be prepared special, however. Colleen had made sure to mash up all of the vegetables and leave out the large chunks of meat. It had also been cooled a bit, but the boys were enjoying trying to feed themselves never the less.

Brian was very quiet, not saying much except for politely asking for Colleen to pass the pitcher of milk.

"So, Clayton's tellin' me that he did get that his job's goin' well with Miss Olive," Sully said, looking at Matthew.

"Yep. Havin' Clayton around sure is a help to me. Two hundred cattle is a lot to handle, and she's gonna need you around when I go off to college," Matthew pointed out.

"Well, it'll be tough not havin' you around to show me the ropes, but I'm sure I'll have the hang of it before ya go," Clayton replied with a laugh.

"Matthew, I'm sure you're gonna do a wonderful job in college," Jenny said with a proud smile. "You're my top student in your age range, so I'm sure you're gonna have no trouble."

"Matthew's already been accepted into a school," Michaela replied. "And I'm sure we're all happy about the choice Matthew's making."

"Sure are," Colleen replied, proud that her big brother was going to go to college.

"Well, I owe my thanks to you, ma," Matthew replied. "I wouldn't have even though about goin' if it wasn't for you encouragin' me." Michaela felt tears coming to her eyes, but she fought them off. Being emotional had become something she was quite good at lately. But it was for a good reason. Her baby was healthy and on the way.

"He's right, Dr. Mike," Jenny replied. "I only hope I can be as good a ma as you are someday." Michaela blushed and took a sip of milk, not knowing what to say. Sully grinned over his glass of milk. He loved to watch Michaela when she was being flattered.

After dinner, Jenny and Clayton headed home for the night while Matthew went outside to do his chores in the barn. Colleen worked at doing the dishes while Brian went upstairs to do the homework he had neglected while he was fishing.

Michaela and Sully were in the washroom, cleaning the boys up after dinner. Connor and Daniel were more interested in splashing each other in the washtub than getting clean. But as long as they weren't covered in food anymore, Michaela and Sully were happy.

"I think they'll go right to sleep tonight," Sully laughed. "They're gonna wear out real soon." Michaela nodded. She sighed heavily and knew it was getting late.

"Can you finish up here? I think I should go speak with Brian."

"Sure. I'll have the boys put down to bed real soon." Michaela left the room and started down the hall to Brian's room. She knocked.

"Brian?"

"Come in," he said glumly. Michaela slowly opened the door, thinking of what she was going to say to her son that Sully hadn't said already.

"How is your homework coming along?"

"It's fine," he replied, putting his book aside and standing up.

"Your father told me he spoke to you this afternoon."

"Yeah," he replied.

"What did he tell you?" Brian took a deep breath.

"He told me I ain't allowed to run off with my friends without tellin' ya. He also said that if it happens again, I'll have to do extra chores for a week."

"Alright," Michaela replied. "What do you think about that?"

"I think I just wanted to go have fun with my friends."

"Brian, I'm sorry if I've made you feel as if I don't want you to go play with your friends. I don't mind as long as you ask. I love you, and I want you to be happy."

"I know," Brian replied quietly. "I'm sorry, ma. I didn't mean to make ya mad. I just thought it'd be fun to go fishin' today is all."

"Next time I tell you we have to come straight home, I expect you to listen to me."

"I will. Honest, ma."

"Alright," Michaela replied.

"Do you forgive me?"

"Well, on one condition?"

"What?" Brian asked with a sigh.

"Come here and give me a hug." Brian's face brightened, and he hurried over to embrace his mother. "You're forgiven."

Late that evening, the kids had all gone to bed, and their oil lamps were out. Sully was downstairs putting out the lamps in the kitchen and den, while Michaela was splashing some cold water on her face in the washroom. The nausea had hit her again, and she was disappointed, because now she didn't feel like being romantic with Sully, and that was her favorite part of going to bed at night.

Once she had freshened up, she retreated the bedroom and snuggled up under the covers. She fell asleep quickly after such a long day, and she was soon whisked away into a dream.

_"Michaela?" Sully asked as he walked into the clinic. Michaela smiled, looking up from her textbook. "It's time to go home." Michaela stood from her desk, knowing that her children needed her at home. It had been hectic since the birth._

_"Help me in the other room?" Michaela asked._

_'Course." They retreated into the side room together, and came upon two cradles. "Look at 'em, Michaela. I told ya."_

_"Yes you did," Michaela laughed. "Two little girls. I'm sorry I doubted you."_

_"You had reasons," Sully replied. "You're the doctor." Michaela laughed and kissed her husband's cheek. _

_"Let's take these little ladies home so they can play with their brothers and sister." They scooped the girls up into their arms and started out the door. _

_The girls were both born with the softest, smallest amount of blonde hair, and their eyes were beautiful and bright. They looked just like their mother, and Sully beamed with pride at seeing his wife and daughters._

_Once they arrived at the homestead, Colleen and Brian were sitting on the porch with Connor and Brian. The twin boys were running about after Pup and Wolf, and there was no sign of Matthew. A sinking feeling in Michaela's heart told her that her son was off at college._

_"Ma, Connor and Daniel did real good today," Brian said with a grin. "They helped me milk the cow, and they helped brush down Flash."_

_"They're growing up," Michaela replied with a laugh. "Here, help me with your sisters. Sully got out of the wagon and took one baby, while Michaela handed the other to Brian._

_"You're a wonderful big brother, Brian," Michaela said, beaming with pride._

_"Thanks ma," he answered. The family settled down on the steps of the porch. Connor and Daniel hurried to look at their sisters._

_"Babies," they said with big grins. They were always so careful with their baby sisters, and were very glad they weren't the youngest in the family anymore._

_"That's right," Michaela whispered. "Your little sisters."_

Michaela sat up quickly to find Sully just shutting the door behind him.

"You okay?" he asked her. Michaela's eyes were shining, and Sully wondered if she was upset, but a smile spread across her face, telling him differently.

"Yes," she whispered. "Sully, I had a dream!"

"A dream? What was it about?"

"Our babies. Our daughters," she whispered. Sully smiled and crawled into bed beside his wife.

"As in two?"

"Yes. I think you're rubbing off on me," she laughed. Sully raised an eyebrow and took his wife's hand in his.

"Don't worry about what I think, Michaela. You just keep yourself and our baby healthy. I can't wait until he or she is born, and if our dreams are right, I'll be just as happy."

"I know. You've told me a million times over that you'd be happy with whatever we're blessed with, but I can't help but feel that you'd be a little disappointed if we don't have a daughter."

"I won't be disappointed. I'm havin' a baby with the woman I love. There ain't no disappointment in that." He kissed her reassuringly. Michaela smiled, and laid back down in the bed. She yawned and closed her eyes. Sully's arm pulled her close, and tenderly rubbed her arm.

"Sully?"

"Hmm?"

"We're still naming our first daughter Katie, aren't we?" Michaela asked. Sully closed his eyes and rested his head against the pillow.

"Sure, if you still want to."

"I do," Michaela replied. She smiled a little. "Katherine Elizabeth Charlotte Sully." Sully smiled, still loving the sound of that. Eight months ago, he wasn't sure if he was having two sons or two daughters, and then he'd been blessed with two of the most amazing boys he'd ever known. Now he was going through it all again, and he had to admit it would be nice to finally have a Katie in his life.

"Then when Katie gets here, she'll get the name she's been waitin' for." Sully kissed the side of Michaela's head and nuzzled his nose against her neck.

"Mmm," Michaela moaned as Sully's hand gently massaged her back. "That feels wonderful." Sully began to kiss her neck, and just as he was about to start kissing her mouth, he heard a soft snore escaping from her mouth. He had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. She was so relaxed that she'd fallen asleep.

"G'nite," he whispered. "I love you." His fingers laced with hers, and he held her for the rest of the night as her head rested against his heart.


	7. Different Side of the Law

**Chapter 7: Different Side of the Law**

"The end of the school year is fast approachin'. I'm sure I will see many of you next August, but I know some of you are movin' away. Lenny Tandy is movin' to Denver with his family, and so is Emily Willis. Matthew Sully is going to college in Denver, while James Collins is finishing with his schooling as well. I feel like I'm just getting to know you all, and I'm going to miss you over the summer."

"But you'll see us all the time, Mrs. Baker," Bryan spoke up.

"Yes, well, I'm lucky enough to be friends with some of the families in town, so I can keep up with most of you," Jenny replied with a laugh as she walked to the front of the classroom from the back. "I was just getting to the assignment I would like you all to have in to me by the last day of school." The children all began to converse with one another in hushed whispers, wondering what Mrs. Baker wanted them to do. "I believe in the freedom of expression, so I want all of you to write an essay about somethin' excitin' that has happened to you. I want it written in proper grammar. It will be worth a hundred points and your final grade for the year." The children all whispered again, and Brian looked at Colleen and Matthew. All three of them had been through so much together, and they had endless possibilities to write their essays on. "That's all for today. Everybody get out and enjoy the beautiful sun."

The children filed out of the schoolhouse, and the Sully children all walked along together.

"What are you gonna write your paper about, Matthew?" Brian wondered.

"I don't know yet, Brian," Matthew replied.

"Well, we got lots of things to talk about," Brian said quietly. "First, there's our real ma dyin'."

"Brian, I don't think that's such a good idea," Colleen warned.

"Well, there's how ma and pa got to adopt us and how our real pa tried to take us to California. Oh, what about ma and pa knowin' they were havin' twins and keepin' it a secret?"

"Well, ya can't write about all of 'em, so ya gotta pick one," Matthew replied with a laugh.

"Which one do ya think I should write about?" Brian asked. Colleen and Matthew looked at one another.

"You gotta decide that, little brother," Matthew replied.

"Don't worry, Brian. We got two weeks before we gotta turn 'em in anyway."

"Hey, Mrs. Baker let us out early today," Matthew said with a glint in his eye. "What do ya say we go fishin'?"

"Really?" Brian asked. "Yeah. Let's go home and grab our fishin' gear. I'm sure ma and pa won't care."

"I ain't goin'," Colleen said with a disgusted look on her face.

"Since when do you hate fishin'?"

"I don't. I just feel like catchin' any fish today."

"Suit yourself," Matthew replied with a shrug. The Sully children continued on toward the homestead.

"Early Sun is doing quite well," Michaela beamed as she held the baby in her arms. Early Sun was giggling as a happy child should as the doctor tickled her tummy.

"That is good news," Snow Bird replied with relief in her voice and eyes. She took her child into her arms, and held her close. "What can I do to repay you?"

"Oh, I don't need anything but the knowledge that this little one is healthy. And I've just received that. Once she's a bit older, I would like to give her a few vaccinations I know she hasn't had."

"Good. She needs to be strong." Michaela nodded. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," Michaela replied with a smile. "Sully and the children are fine, and we're all happy about the new baby."

"Cloud Dancing tells me that Sully believes you are carrying two girls." Michaela let out a laugh.

"Yes," she answered. "He does, and he's very confident about it." Snow Bird laughed.

"The spirits told Cloud Dancing we would have a daughter. They were right." Michaela noticed the look in Snow Bird's eyes, and she became extremely curious.

"Have the spirits told Cloud Dancing about my baby?" Snow Bird grinned.

"They have."

"Does Sully know?"

"He said he does not want to know. He wants to be surprised." Though Michaela was curious to know what the spirits told Cloud Dancing about her unborn child, she wanted to wait until the birth to know if she was getting a son or a daughter, or as Sully thought, two daughters.

The cries of Daniel from outside of the teepee startled Michaela, and she quickly went outside to find her sons sitting on a deerskin with two Cheyenne toddlers. Cloud Dancing was watching them, and Michaela saw him quickly move to pick up the crying child.

"What happened?" Michaela wondered. Cloud Dancing passed Daniel to her and the boy's loud cries ceased.

"He wanted his mother," Snow Bird realized. Michaela kissed the top of Daniel's head.

"I think he needs a nap," she concluded. I should be getting back into town. I have patients to see. Early Sun is healthy, and you have nothing to worry about."

"Thank you," Cloud Dancing said with a nod. Michaela gathered Connor up into her other arm and started toward the wagon, where Sully was brushing down the horses.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered. Sully helped her and the boys into the wagon before climbing in beside her. They started off toward town, and Michaela seemed to be lost in thought.

"Somethin' on your mind?" Michaela smiled a little, looking at the two precious boys she held in her lap.

"I was just thinking about our baby. Snow Bird told me that the spirits spoke to Cloud Dancing."  
"Yeah," he replied with a nod. "Did she tell you what they said?"

"No," Michaela replied. "She didn't have the chance, but I wouldn't have wanted to know."

"Really?"

"I'm curious, yes, but I believe the natural thing to do is wait until the baby's born. There isn't a valid way to say for a fact what the baby's sex is, so I'd rather find out once the time comes." Sully smiled and wrapped his free arm around Michaela as his other held onto the reins to guide the horses.

The sun was out and the air was warm. Birds were flying overhead and chirping, so the boys would point at everything that moved. It was nearly summer, and they had never enjoyed such beautiful weather after having been born in the Autumn and living through the Winter.

"Look at the birds," Michaela said, pointing up to a very large-winged creature. "That's an eagle."

"One of these days I'm gonna teach ya everything I know about 'bout wolves, eagles, and other animals. Cloud Dancin' will teach ya too, 'cause he's had more experience with wild animals than I have. Your ma will teach ya things too. She'll teach ya manners and how to get rid of a cough." Michaela laughed at her husband's words.

"You can't exactly avoid that," Michaela replied. "Unfortunately, we can't protect the boys from everything. I only hope they will grow to be strong and healthy so they can make their own wise decisions when they're older."

The calls of a crow sounded, startling the horses. Sully slowed them to a stop and looked around.

"What is it?" Michaela wondered, an uneasy feeling settling in the pit of her stomach.

"I'm not sure," he replied. "We best be hurryin'." He brought the horses into a walk again, and soon they were trotting along quickly. Michaela held the boys snugly and watched Sully's face as it filled with worry and apprehension. The snap of a branch off to the side made Sully flinch. "Michaela, get in the back of the wagon with the boys and lay down."

"What?"

"Just do it," he whispered. Sully slowed down enough for Michaela to climb into the back and bring the boys with her. Once they were all three lying down, Sully whipped the reins, making the horses run faster than usual. The sounds of gunshots startled all of them, and the boys began to cry.

"Sully!" Michaela exclaimed.

"Stay down!" he called. He pushed the horses harder. "Yah!" The wagon barreled down the dirt road as two men on horseback began to chase after them. All that was running through Michaela's mind was whether or not she and her family would live through this, and how this was going to affect her pregnancy.

Another gunshot rang out, and Sully screamed in pain, holding his shoulder as blood began to pour out of it.

"Sully!" Michaela screamed, not knowing how serious the injury was.

"Whatever you do, don't get out of the wagon till this is over," Sully called back. He stopped the wagon, and one of the riders rode up beside him. Sully threw himself onto the man's horse, knocking him down. The other man went to help his companion, but the horse spooked and threw him right off. Michaela heard the struggle, but she didn't dare look up for fear of the safety of her sons, herself, and her unborn child. Her hand was settled protectively against her slightly protruding belly, and her mind was trying to tell her heart to stop racing.

The boys were screaming, and Michaela couldn't console them. She was too stricken with fear for her husband's life. The moments seemed to be passing like hours, and Michaela heard nothing but silence for a long while. Soon, she heard another gunshot ring out, and the screams of one of the men. She gasped, not knowing what happened. A thud followed the gunshot.

"Michaela!" Michaela scrambled to sit up in the wagon, and she saw Sully kneeling over the still body of the first attacker. The other man had been knocked out cold. Michaela checked on her crying boys, and decided it was safe to leave their sides for a few minutes. She got out of the wagon and rushed to Sully's side. She immediately began to check his shoulder.

"No, check him," he said hoarsely. Michaela looked at the man's stomach to see blood rushing from the entrance wound. She felt his neck for a pulse.

"He's dead," she whispered. Sully's face grew pale, and Michaela knew it had been in self-defense.

"We struggled with the gun," he whispered. "I never killed a man before."

"I know," Michaela whispered. "You were protecting your family and yourself." She reached over to check the other man.

"How's he?"

"He'll survive, but he'll wake up with a nasty headache." She sighed heavily and went to retrieve her medical bag. She went back to Sully's side and began to work on his shoulder. "It went right through and didn't shatter a bone. You're lucky."

"Lucky," Sully mumbled under his breath. "Luck woulda been if I hadn't pulled the trigger." Another rider approached, and Michaela immediately worried that it was a brother or another companion of the riders. The man was of middle age and dressed all in black. To top it off, he wore a black Stetson hat. Michaela held her hands up.

"Don't hurt us. We're unarmed."

"Wouldn't dream of hurtin' ya ma'am," he replied, tipping his hat. He dismounted his horse and walked over to kneel beside the two outlaws. "You shoot this man, mister?"

"It was self-defense," Michaela pointed out.

"I don't doubt that. I've been trackin' these fellas for two weeks. That's Bret and Tom Jacobs. They've been robbin' folks on these roads for years. Looks like they were gonna do the same thing to you folks." Michaela went back to suturing Sully's wound. "You did a good thing, mister, shootin' that fella."

"Ain't no good in it."

"He was gonna be hanged anyway. As for his brother, I'm puttin' him in the nearest jail 'til a marshal comes to take him away."

"We have a jail in our town. We don't have a sheriff though," Michaela explained.

"That'll do just fine, ma'am," he replied.   
"Dr. Quinn," Michaela said with a nod. "This is my husband Sully."

"Pleased to meet ya both. I'm Kid Cole."

"Mr. Cole," Michaela began. Sully looked up at him.

"Kid Cole as in the gunfighter?"

"Ya heard of me?" he asked. "Well, that ain't somethin' I'm proud of, but a man's gotta keep himself alive." Michaela turned back to her husband.

"I can't do anymore out here. I want to clean it properly and bandage it again once we get back into town."

"What about your other patients?"

"They can hold," he replied. "Mrs. Eldon just has a sore throat, and I don't have to see Mr. Griggs until three." She bandaged his shoulder and he stood. Sully looked down at the man who's life he'd taken. Though the man had tried to hurt him and his family, he still felt sick to his stomach. He never thought he'd have to kill, but now that he had, he didn't know what to feel.

We best get these fellas into town. Mind if I put 'em in the back of your wagon? I'll watch the other fella so he don't try somethin' funny." Michaela nodded as Kid Cole helped Sully up into the wagon. Michaela climbed in and pulled the boys into her lap. Sully took one of the boys so Michaela could help him steer the wagon. Kid Cole slowly loaded the dead man and his unconscious brother into the back of the wagon. The group started toward town, and Michaela didn't know what to say to make her husband feel better about what had happened.

Kid Cole was at the telegraph, wiring for a marshal. The family of the Jacobs' family was coming to retrieve the body of the dead brother, and a marshal was going to come to pick up the surviving outlaw. A group of curious townsfolk had gathered outside of the telegraph office.

Meanwhile, Michaela was properly cleaning and bandaging Sully's wound. Luckily, no infection had started, but she knew she'd have to keep a close eye on it just in case.

The boys were being taken care of by Myra in the next room. Hank would have been there to help her, but curiosity had gotten the better of him, and he'd gone to personally help Kid Cole lock up Bret Jacobs while they put Tom Jacobs' body away for safe keeping until his family could come to pick him up.

Bret had woken with a terrible headache, as Michaela had predicted, and Michaela had sent some medication for the man, though he refused any care from a woman doctor.

Michaela was mostly concerned for Sully, however, because he had been very quiet since the incident on the road.

"There," she said with a weak smile as she finished tying off the bandage. "Your shoulder be sore for several weeks, but I doubt there will be any long-term complications." Sully nodded and slowly began to button up his shirt. Michaela helped him, and her eyes tried to lock with his, but he wouldn't look her in the eyes. "Sully?"

"What?" he asked quietly.

"What happened today wasn't your fault."

"I know that," he replied softly.

"So stop blaming yourself."

"I ain't blamin' myself. Those two shouldn't have been out doin' what they were doin'. I was tryin' to protect my family, but I shouldn't have pulled the trigger."

"You had no choice! Sully, if one more second had passed, he could have turned the tables. I might not be standing here talking to you right now. I might be standing over your grave."

"Don't talk like that," Sully said quietly, standing up.

"It's the truth. I know you feel guilty, but that man was trying to kill you! If he'd gotten past you, he'd have killed me, our sons, and our unborn baby would have died too."

"You actually think it's a good thing that he's dead?"

"Of course not. But I'm saying . . ."

"What?"

"I'm saying it's better him than you." Sully never expected to hear those words out of his wife's mouth, but he knew it was the truth. Honestly, he'd rather have killed than to see his wife hurt, and he knew now that she was feeling the same way.

"Never thought I'd hear you say those words," Sully said quietly.

"Well, now you know. Sully, I hope you know by now that I'm not willing to lose you. I would walk through fire if it meant sparing you or the children any harm. I love you all so much, and I'm not willing to lose any of you." Tears filled her eyes, and Sully pulled her close with his good arm.

"You ain't gonna lose me or the kids," he whispered. "We'll always be here."

"There are no guarantees," Michaela whispered. She swallowed hard and forced a small smile. "All I know is that I am going to love you no matter what happens. Today was an unfortunate accident, but it doesn't make me love you or respect you any less. Just promise me you won't go jumping off of moving wagons anytime soon." Sully managed a small smile and kissed his wife softly.

"I promise."

"Go upstairs and get some rest. I'll bring something for you to eat from Grace's."

"What about the kids?"

"I'll have Horace ride out to the homestead to tell them what's going on." Sully nodded and started up the stairs. Michaela waited until she heard a door open and close upstairs before she walked into the other room to check on Myra and the babies. "How are they doing?"

"They're doin' just fine. They went to sleep a couple minutes ago."

"Thank you Myra. Would you mind watching them for a few minutes? I need to have Horace ride out to the homestead to tell the children what's happening."

"Horace is awful busy with sendin' telegraphs to them boys' family and to the marshal. Why don't ya ask Hank to go out and tell 'em."

"Do you think he'd mind?"

"Nah," Myra replied. Michaela smiled and walked out of the clinic. She headed over to the jail, where the crowd had followed Kid Cole.

"Is it true ya killed fifteen men in Soda Springs?" Hank asked as he took a puff on his cigar.

"Nope," Kid Cole replied. "Didn't kill nobody in Soda Springs." Michaela made her way through the crowd.

"Hank? May I speak with you for a moment?" Hank walked away from the crowd with Michaela, tossed his cigar onto the ground and stepped on it, extinguishing the burning end.

"What is it, Michaela?"

"I would ask Horace this favor, but he's very busy. Would you mind riding out to the homestead and letting Colleen, Matthew, and Brian know what's going on?"

"Sure," he replied. "Is Myra stayin' here?"

"Yes. She's watching Connor and Daniel as we speak."

"Alright. You want me to bring 'em into town?"

"They can come if they'd like. Make sure they know that Sully's fine, and that his injuries aren't too severe."

"I'll head out there right now. I closed up the saloon anyway once Kid Cole came into town with them outlaws. I'm sure once it all settles down this evenin', the fellas will be linin' up for a drink." He started off to get his horse, and Michaela shook her head and walked up to the door of the jail. She started to walk inside, but Kid Cole put his hand on the door.

"Sorry ma'am, but ya can't see the prisoner."

"Excuse me, Mr. Cole?"

"The marshal will be comin' for him soon, and he ain't allowed visitors."

"I'm not a visitor. I'm a doctor."

"He don't need a doctor."

"I want to check on his headache."

"Just did. He said it's fine," Kid Cole replied. "Sorry ma'am. He's my prisoner, and I gotta keep him locked up 'til the marshal gets here."

"You're a gunfighter, Kid Cole," Robert E. spoke up. "Didn't think you much cared for doin' right by the laws."

"Well, somehow I ended up on the right side of the law for a change, though sometimes I ain't sure which side is right and which is wrong."

"How did you get to workin' for the law, Mr. Cole?" Dorothy wondered, as she held her pencil poised at her notepad.

"I can't rightly remember, ma'am. All I know is that one day, I was runnin' from the law, and the next, I was helpin' 'em find the man who shot me in the back." Michaela sighed heavily and decided it would do no good to try to get in to see the patient again.

She started back over to the clinic and relieved Myra of her duties. Her other patients hadn't come in for their appointments, so Michaela figured they had decided they didn't need medical services. She put a closed sign on the door outside, locked up downstairs so her boys would be safe, and started up the stairs to check on her husband.

When she walked into the room, Sully was resting on top of the covers with his eyes closed. She could tell that he was sleeping and didn't want to disturb him, so she silently shut the door and crept back down the stairs.

A knock came to the door a few minutes later, and Jenny Baker walked in.

"Dr. Mike?"

"Oh, hello Jenny."

"Hey. How's Sully doin'?"

"He's resting," Michaela replied.

"I heard about what happened. He sure was brave." Michaela swallowed hard.

"He thought he was doing the right thing."

"He was."

"But now he feels guilty for what happened to Tom Jacobs."

"Those men were gonna rob you and maybe worse," Jenny explained. "I'm sure it was an accident, but it's good that they were stopped before anyone else became their victims."

"He's really shaken up about this," Michaela admitted. "I want to be there for him, and I hope he doesn't try to shut me out and try to protect me from what he's going thorough. Sully and I vowed to be there for each other in sickness and in hell, and I have a feeling that this is going to be his hell."

That night, Sully was resting comfortably upstairs at the homestead. The children had been full of questions when they Michaela and Sully returned home, but unfortunately for them, Sully hadn't felt much like talking. He'd eaten something brought from Grace's before he and Michaela came home, and he went right up to bed as soon as they arrived.

Matthew understood that Sully was shaken up. It was understandable. Not too long ago, Matthew had nearly killed a man in order to protect the life of an innocent child. Nearly taking a life had shaken him up enough, so he knew he couldn't know exactly what Sully was going through.

Michaela had been checking on her husband periodically, but he seemed to be sleeping, which was good, because he needed rest.

Brian had been curious and asking questions about the Jacobs brothers, and Matthew and Colleen had had a talk with him when Michaela helped Sully to bed, warning him to be careful about what he said about the situation. He hadn't quite picked up on what the term 'tact' meant yet.

While Michaela was upstairs, Colleen looked at her little brother.

"Brian, ya know ya can't go blurtin' stuff out about the Jacobs' brothers. Sully feels bad about what happened so ya gotta make sure ya don't upset him."

"But he killed Tom Jacobs' to protect ma and the twins."

"Yeah, but he thinks he coulda stopped it," Matthew replied. "Just watch what you say, alright?"

"Okay," Brian replied. Michaela came down the stairs looking exhausted. She had been going back and forth between the children and Sully all evening. It wasn't good for her or the baby.

"Ma, why don't ya go up to bed?" Colleen wondered. "We'll finish up all the chores and turn down all the oil lamps once we go up to bed."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yeah," Colleen said with a nod. "You need to rest." Michaela was too tired to argue with her daughter, so she simply nodded. She walked over to kiss the children goodnight and was soon retiring to the bedroom.

When she stepped inside, she silently slipped out of her shoes and dress and into a nightgown. She pulled back the covers on her side of the bed, and pulled herself into bed as slowly as she could, trying not to wake her sleeping husband.

Once she was securely in bed, she turned down the oil lamp, and the only light in the room was that of the fire blazing in the fireplace. She stared at her husband's sleeping form for a long while before she finally drifted off to sleep.

At around midnight, Michaela woke to movement in her bed. She sat up to find that Sully was in the midst of a bad dream. He was sweating all over, his chest was heaving, and he was making unpleasant noises from the back of his throat.

"No," he mumbled. "I didn't mean to kill you." Michaela's heart began to break for her husband, and she knew there was nothing she could do for him right now except to console him and hear him out. She tenderly placed her hand over his heart, and that action seemed to soothe Sully in his sleep. He stopped tossing and turning, and his breathing returned to normal.

"Sleep now," she whispered. She crept out of bed, pulled on a robe and left the bedroom. She walked downstairs and poured herself a glass of milk. She sat down at the table and put her hand on her slightly extended belly.

"Your father's going to be alright," she whispered. "He's going through a rough time, but we'll all be there for him and help him." She swallowed hard, hoping that Sully wouldn't start to push her away. She knew he was making himself sick with grief, and she didn't know how to stop that grief except to give him time.

A slight tapping at the front door sparked Michaela's curiosity. Who could be visiting at a time like this?

She pulled her robe tightly around herself and walked over to the door.

"Who is it?" she whispered.

"It's me, Hank," he whispered.

"What in the world?" she whispered to herself. She slowly opened the door and Hank appeared out of the darkness.

"What's wrong?"

"It's Bret Jacobs. He's escaped."

"What?!" Michaela asked. "How is that possible?"

"Kid Cole was lettin' the Reverend in to sit with him. I told him he shoulda just let the Reverend sit on the outside, but who listens to me, huh? Anyway, Bret knocked both of 'em over, and he's on the loose. I thought you should know."

"Thank you for telling me. Are Reverend Johnson and Kid Cole both alright?"

"They're fine. We're organizin' a search party in town. We don't want ya to worry, but we thought you and Sully had the right to know."  
"Well, thank you again for coming out here to tell me." Hank nodded. "Goodnight." Michaela slowly shut the door and heard footsteps on the stairs.

"Ma?" It was Matthew.

"Oh, Matthew, it's late. You should go back up to bed."

"I heard a horse comin'."

"That was just Hank."

"What'd he want?" Michaela sighed and motioned for her son to come over. They both sat down at the table.

"Bret Jacobs escaped from the jail."

"What? Did they catch him?"

"No," Michaela replied. "But they're organizing a search party."

"Ma, what if he figures out where we live? What if he comes for Sully?"

"I don't want to wake Sully. He needs his rest. I'll let him know about this in the morning. For now, I think we should all get some sleep."

"Ma, I'll stay up and watch out."

"Matthew, you don't have to do that. What about school?"

"School can wait. I'm sure Mrs. Baker will understand if I'm a little tired tomorrow. Who else is gonna stay up? You?" he asked, rolling his eyes.

"Just because I'm a woman, you think I can't help protect my family?" Michaela asked defensively. "Well, I'll tell you one thing . . ."

"Ma! I'm sorry," he said quickly, trying to avoid a mood swing catastrophe. "I'm just sayin' that you're pregnant and need rest."

"Oh," Michaela replied, slightly embarrassed. She shook her head. "I don't want you getting hurt."

"I ain't gonna get hurt. I'm just gonna stay in here and listen for anything suspicious."

"Promise me you'll come upstairs and let me know if anything strange happens?" Michaela asked, feeling herself growing more exhausted by the moment.

"I promise. Besides, Wolf and Pup will keep me company." He looked over at the two dogs who were sleeping by the fire." Michaela cocked her head worriedly.

"Alright," she whispered. "Keep the doors locked and stay inside."

"I will," he replied. He kissed her cheek and she slowly started back up to bed. Matthew settled down in a chair in front of the fire. He glanced up at the shotgun, knowing he wouldn't shoot another man again unless he absolutely had to.


	8. Leaving

**Chapter 8: Leaving**

As the days wore on, there had been no sign of Bret Jacobs. The townsmen spent a good part of their nights looking for him, and Kid Cole swore to find him and turn him into the marshal. The marshal was due to arrive by the stagecoach within the next twelve hours. It was eight in the evening, and children were no longer allowed to play outside after supper or do their outside chores. Lanterns and oil lamps were left burning in the windows so those unfortunate enough to have to spend the evenings outside would have some light to guide them from the clutches of an outlaw.

The men had evidence that he was still lurking out in the woods, but they hadn't been able to catch him yet. It was as if he was always two steps ahead of them, and they were unable to quicken their pace to catch him.

The Jacobs brothers' family had come to retrieve the body of Tom Jacobs, and they didn't have a bitter word to say to anyone about it. They knew the boys had done wrong and deserved whatever punishment they received, and Michaela couldn't help but notice that the parents weren't very nurturing to their other children. Tom and Bret probably turned out the way they were partly because of how they were brought up.

Sully still had nightmares at night, and Michaela had confronted him about it. Sully would tell her it wasn't a big deal, but Michaela knew better. She knew that he was still reeling with grief over killing that man. She kept trying to assure him that he did the right thing. His shoulder was on a slow process to recovery, but he was feeling up to going out to the reservation now.

Michaela would watch the boys and work at the clinic while the children were at school, but she found it harder and harder to concentrate. In her heart, she needed him more than ever. She needed him to be there with her, to let her know that everything was going to be alright. Under normal circumstances, she could hold her own pretty well, but things changed when she was pregnant. She was far more emotional, her worries seemed to increase to a higher degree, and she seemed to feel as if she was the only woman in the world going through those problems.

The clinic door burst open, startling Michaela from her thoughts. Brian ran in with Colleen right behind him.

"Hi ma!" Brian said cheerfully. "Mrs. Baker had a bad headache, so she let us leave early."

"Well, I should go see if she's alright."

"I already checked on her," Colleen replied. "It wasn't a serious headache, her pupils weren't dilated, and she didn't have an upset stomach. I told her I'd bring her something to get rid of it."

"Very well done, Colleen," Michaela beamed. Colleen smiled proudly. She went to collect what she needed for Mrs. Baker, and Michaela stood to stretch her legs for a few moments. She had been sitting down for the past few hours, looking over her research.

"Where's Matthew?" Michaela wondered as she looked out the window.

"He went to see Ingrid," Colleen replied.

"Ya mean kiss her," Brian replied, making a disgusted face. Michaela laughed.

"So what?" Colleen asked. "They're getting married soon anyway."

"It's gonna be strange not havin' Matthew around," Brian admitted.

"But he'll be home for the holidays and stuff," Colleen pointed out. Brian looked at Michaela.

"He won't be here when the baby's born." Michaela put her hand on her stomach.

"No, I suppose he won't be," she replied, trying not to cry. She sucked in a deep breath. "I'm going to go for a walk."

"Ma, you know Bret Jacobs is still out there. You could get hurt," Colleen warned.

"I'm just going to Grace's for some pie. I'll back in a few minutes, and then we'll go visit Jenny together."

"Alright," Colleen replied. Michaela left the clinic, and as she was walking to Grace's, she ran into Kid Cole.

"Afternoon, Dr. Quinn," he said, tipping his black hat.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Cole. Where are you headed on a day like this?"

"I was just goin' to fetch my horse. The boys are ridin' out after Bret Jacobs."

"Has he been spotted?"

"Jenny Baker saw him as she was leavin' the schoolhouse to pick up lunch at the café." Michaela gave him a nod and rushed off toward the café. She saw Dorothy, Myra, and Olive sitting at a table with Jenny. Grace was just sitting down as well.

"Oh! Michaela!" Dorothy exclaimed when she saw her friend.

"Jenny? Mr. Cole just told me that you spotted Bret Jacobs."

"I did," she replied. "I was leavin' the schoolhouse and he was standin' 'bout four yards back from the church. He ran off as soon as he saw that I'd spotted him."

"You don't think he's lookin' for Sully do ya?" Myra wondered.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Michaela admitted. "Sully's safe though, but I need to warn him." She broke away from the group and rushed across town to the clinic. When she burst through the door, she startled both Colleen and Brian.

"Ma?" Colleen asked. "What's wrong?"

"Bret Jacobs has been spotted. I need to ride out to the reservation and warn your father."

"Ma? Do you think that's safe?"

"He was spotted in the opposite direction I'm heading. I'm taking the wagon. Colleen, please stay here with your brothers. When Matthew come back, have him take you home."

"Ma, you shouldn't go alone."  
"I'll be fine," Michaela replied. She kissed Colleen and Brian and hurried out to get into the wagon. The wagon made quite a clatter as the horses rushed it out of town. Michaela was feeling nervous and nauseated at the same time.

Sully and Cloud Dancing walked along the creek near the reservation. Sully had been unusually quiet, and Cloud Dancing knew of the shooting that had occurred a few days earlier. He didn't know how to make his brother feel better about what happened, but he did know of a way for Sully to heal his body and his soul, but he didn't think Sully had hit the point where he needed that quite yet. He knew Sully had to have time to think about what had happened and try to move on.

"How is your shoulder?"

"It's fine," Sully replied. "Michaela fixed it up real nice."

"You call her Michaela now."

"Yeah? Why wouldn't I?"

"Once you called her Dr. Mike."

"Yeah," Sully replied with a slight smile. "Once she asked me why I called her Dr. Mike when we weren't kissin' or huggin', but Michaela when we were. Somehow, I just started callin' her Michaela all the time, and it stuck."

"You have a light in your eyes when you speak of her."

"She is the light of my life," he replied. "I know it's somethin' ya hear from lots of people, but it's true for us. She brings light into my life that I never thought I'd have after Abagail, and then some. I'm happier than I've ever been at any point in my life."

"But you aren't."

"What?"

"You're letting the past haunt you."

"What? Abagail?"

"No," Cloud Dancing replied. "I'm speaking of when you killed that man."

"I don't want to talk about it." Sully seemed to begin to close up his heart at that point. Cloud Dancing couldn't let that happen.

"You were acting in self defense. Your family needed you, and you were protecting them."

"I don't want to talk about this right now," Sully stated flatly.

"You do not want to face your emotions." Sully turned to look at Cloud Dancing.

"I'm fine," he answered. Cloud Dancing nodded slightly.

"You have never lied to me before, but that has changed now." He looked up at the sky. "We must go back to the reservation." Cloud Dancing turned his back, and Sully watched him walk away for a few moments, realizing that his Cheyenne brother was right. He had been trying so hard to stay strong for Michaela, but now he was being haunted by Tom Jacobs death every waking and sleeping moment. He needed to heal, and he knew that the Cheyenne performed healing rituals in sweat huts. But it wasn't time for that yet. Sully needed to face this ordeal head on. He needed to have closure.

Sully followed Cloud Dancing, and they walked in utter silence. Cloud Dancing was not angry with Sully, only disappointed that his brother felt he could not confide in him. He knew Sully needed time and that he'd come around eventually.

Once they arrived at the reservation, Sully mounted his horse and started off toward town. On his way, he heard the rumbling of a wagon nearing the reservation, so he decided he had better make sure it wasn't someone making trouble. But, as soon as he saw his wife, he brought his horse into a gallop and rushed over to meet her.

Michaela brought the wagon to a stop as Sully came up beside her.

"Michaela? What's goin' on?"

"Sully, are you alright?"

"'Course I'm alright," he replied. "What is it?"

"Jenny Baker spotted Bret Jacobs out near the church. I thought I'd come out here and let you know."

"Thanks," he replied. "I'll ride with you back to town." He hitched his horse to the wagon, and as soon as that was accomplished, he climbed in beside his wife, and they started back toward town.

"Sully, we need to talk," Michaela suggested after several long, quiet minutes. Sully stopped the wagon and turned to Michaela. He took her hands in his and kissed her knuckles softly. Once he let go of her hands, he took a deep breath.

"I ain't ready to talk about it yet, Michaela."

"But, Sully . . ."

"Just give me some space. I need time to think."

"Sully, if you just . . ."

"Please! Just give me a little time. I'll talk about it when I'm ready to. I just don't want to think about it right now."

"Sully, I'm so tired of you shutting me out! I wake up to your nightmares!" she exclaimed. "I need to know how to help you!"

"Ya can't help everyone, Michaela!" Sully exclaimed. "I need time of my own to figure out what to do about this."

"What do you mean? Sully, what happened can't be fixed, and it was an accident. You didn't kill him because you wanted to. You did it because, first of all, it was an accident, and second of all, if you hadn't killed him, he'd have killed all of us." Tears glistened in Sully's eyes, and he tried his hardest to fight them off.

"I don't want to do this."

"I know you don't, but the sooner you talk about it, the easier it's going to be to let go."

"I'll never let go of this, Michaela," he replied. "I'm never goin' to forget the feelin' of the barrel of that gun pressed into my stomach. I'm never goin' to forget takin' control of that gun and pullin' the trigger. The memory of seein' his face grow lifeless and feelin' his body go limp under mine is always gonna be there. I can't turn back time." Michaela's hand moved to caress his face.

"I know it's not," she whispered. "But I want to help you through it. I need to know how."

"I don't even know how to help myself," he admitted. A sudden look of wonder came over his face, confusing Michaela. "I might know where to start."

"What do you mean?"

"I need to face Bret Jacobs."

"Sully! No!"

"I need to do this, Michaela. I can't endanger you, the children, or any of the folks in town. I need him to know where I am without havin' you in the path of danger."

"What are you saying?" Michaela asked softly, her eyes brimming with tears, and her heart beginning to feel heavy within' her chest. Sully brought the horses into a slow canter again. "Sully, answer me." Sully exhaled sharply, not wanting to say what he was about to say.

"I'm sayin' that I think it's best if I stay away from everyone for awhile."

"What?!" Michaela asked. "How can you think about leaving us?"

"I'm not leavin'," he replied. "I'm doin' this to keep you safe."

"You've already made up your mind without talking to me about it first?" she asked, feeling as if Sully was shutting her out even more, even though he had opened up a bit just now.

"It won't be for long," he replied. "I need to face Bret Jacobs. I need to explain to him why I took his brother's life."

"He'll kill you, Sully!"

"That's a chance I gotta take." Michaela couldn't believe her ears.

"You're willing to die in order to tell this man why his brother's dead? What about your family? What about us?" Michaela asked, not sure whether to feel anger or to feel sorry for her husband. A tear slipped down her cheek, and when she looked at her husband again, she noticed that a tear had fallen from his eyes as well. She knew he was heart broken over having to leave his family for their own protection, but he was also being ripped to pieces on the inside over having taken a man's life.

"Michaela, I'd rather die than leave you and the kids."

"You may die anyway!" Michaela exclaimed.

"I didn't mean to say what I said," he whispered. "But I do need to talk to him. I need to face him, because if I don't, I may never get closure." He swallowed hard. "Cloud Dancin' once told me that you gotta heal the whole person, not just the heart. There's a ritual performed in a sweat lodge, a healing ritual. Michaela, if I do this, I think I can cope with what happened." Michaela wanted to help, but she was beginning to realize that Sully needed this for himself.

"I think I understand," she replied quietly. The rest of the trip home was silent, and both Michaela and Sully were upset over this entire ordeal.

When they arrived at the homestead, it was obvious that the children had come home.

Michaela watched as Sully unhitched the wagon, and she followed him when he took the horses into the barn. When Sully turned around after stabling the horses, Michaela walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him. Sully wrapped his arms around Michaela as well, and sighed softly as Michaela rested her head on his chest. He stroked her back and kissed the top of her head.

"You know I ain't doin' this 'cause I want to. I have to do it. It hurts to even think about leavin' you and the kids for a little while. I promise I won't be gone long."

"When do you have to leave?" Michaela asked, looking up at him with big, tear-filled eyes. Sully's hands moved to caress her cheeks, and he bent down kiss her softly.

"I think it's best that I leave this evenin'." Michaela nodded slowly. "I already talked to the fellas in town today, and they promised to keep a watch over the homestead while I'm gone.

"What if he comes after us just to get back at you?"

"He won't," he replied. "From what I heard, the Jacobs brothers ain't that smart or resourceful. But just in case, that's why I asked the fellas to keep a watch out. Maybe you should stay in town." He began to wonder if this wasn't such a good idea.

"Sully, I know you have to go. We'll be alright," she whispered.

"How am I gonna tell the kids?"

"It's not like you're going away forever," Michaela replied, fighting off the tears again, trying to keep strong for her husband.

"That ain't the point. Their real pa left 'em, and I don't wanna do the same."

"They know you'd never do that to them, Sully. You are nothing like Ethan, and you never will be." She took his hand in hers, and Sully stared down at the rings he'd given her as a promise of their eternal love. He glanced at the locket she never took off. He tenderly picked the locket up with his free hand.

"What this says inside of this locket is true," he whispered. "I want ya to know that my heart is with you, no matter where I am."

"And mine is with you," she replied. Sully leaned down and kissed her, and when he pulled away, he brushed a tear from her cheek with his thumb.

They left the barn, walking hand-in-hand, to tell their children what was going to happen, and hope that the end result of this entire ordeal would be positive.

"You'll be back real soon?" Brian asked.

"Yeah," Sully replied, kneeling next to his son.

"You promise?"

"I promise," he replied gently. Brian hugged his father, and when they pulled apart, the boy stood there hoping that his father would be back sooner rather than later. Sully hugged Matthew and Colleen.

"You two help your ma, alright?" he asked.

"We will, pa," Colleen promised. Sully took Connor and Daniel into his arms.

"I'm gonna miss you boys," he whispered, kissing their cheeks. "You be good for your ma, and behave your sister and brothers." The boys didn't understand what was happening, but they knew it wasn't happy at all. They started to whimper, and Colleen took them into her arms. Sully turned to Michaela, who was fighting off the urge to cry. They walked over to Sully's horse for a little private conversation. "I love you."

"I love you," Michaela reciprocated.

"I'm gonna miss you."

"So will I."

"Just remember that I'll be home in a few days, and when I come home, we'll make up for lost time." Michaela smiled a bit, knowing what Sully was referring to. She stood on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him, concentrating all of her emotions into a kiss that would leave Sully longing for their reunion. When they pulled away, Sully rested his forehead against Michaela's.

"I'll be back before ya know it," Sully promised. Michaela nodded and handed him something in a pouch. "What's this?"

"It's for your shoulder in case it starts to hurt." Sully smiled a little, loving the way Michaela thought ahead. He gave her another quick kiss before mounting his horse. Michaela walked over to stand beside the children, and Sully studied them all for a few moments. Wolf barked and went to join his master. Pup seemed to be a bit left out, but Brian bent to scratch the top of his wolf's head.

"Goodbye," Michaela said softly.

"I love you guys," he said softly.

"Bye pa. We love you. Be careful," were some of the answers given by the children. Daniel and Connor flailed their arms about, not sure of what to make of the situation. Sully rode off, knowing that he was leaving his heart with his wife; his family.

Anthony sat down on the bench outside of the telegraph office. He was watching several of the railroad workers constructing the depot. Mary had told him that her father would be running the telegraph and the post from there, and that once he sold the old telegraph office, they were going to move into a house across town, closer to the depot.

Mary was inside doing chores, so Anthony was left without anyone to play with. A lot of the children at school didn't like him because of the color of his skin, but some of them, including the Sully children, Matthew, and Becky Houser were all very accepting toward him.

Anthony was trying to decide what to write about for his assignment for the end of school. He had several experiences he could write about, but none of them were at all fun. He could write about his parents dying, but he had been so young, and the memory was very frightening and painful for him.

The only thing that could really pop into his mind was the fact that Robert E. and Grace were discussing adoption. Both of them wanted Anthony to be their son, but they were a bit nervous when it came to actually adopting. They would have several discussions without Anthony, but sometimes he'd be let in on the conversations so they could know how he felt.

They wanted so very much to adopt him, but they weren't sure if the government would let them do such a thing. When Anthony said his prayers every night before bed, he would pray to God to let Robert E. and Grace adopt him. They were the nicest folks he'd ever stayed with, and he finally had friends he could see and play with every day. He was allowed to go to school, and he felt like most people accepted him. He'd never had those things before, and he was even happier because he had been reunited with Mary.

"Anthony?" came a voice from nearby. Anthony looked up at the sound of Robert E.'s voice. "What are ya doin' sittin' alone out here?"

"Just waitin' for Mary to finish her chores."

"Oh," Robert E. replied with a smile, sitting down beside her. "You're sweet on her, huh?"

"No!" Anthony replied. Robert E. chuckled.

"Oh, I see," he replied. "How long have ya known her?"

"A couple years. We were best friends. Still are."

"I'm glad the both of ya have each other." Anthony smiled.

"Me too." Robert E. smiled. Mary came rushing out of the telegraph office.

"I'm done! Pa said I could go to the café for pie with ya!" she said, out of breath from hurrying.

"You two have fun," Robert E. said with a smile. Anthony and Mary rushed off toward Grace's Café, and Robert E. sat staring after them with a shine in his eyes. Anthony was the son he'd never had. The children he'd had before he was a free man were girls, and he loved them dearly. He'd always wanted a son, but when Grace lost their baby, and they found out it had been a girl, Robert E. had begun to long for a daughter. His memories of having daughters before would haunt him, but when Anthony came into his life, some kind of a void had been filled. Yes, he still wanted all of his daughters back. He'd give anything to bring back the baby he and Grace had lost. But now he had this boy, someone he could spend time with to help take away some of the pain. Nothing would ever take away the pain of losing his daughters, but having Anthony around helped him concentrate on the present and the future instead of the past.

He was sure that he wanted to adopt Anthony, and so was Grace, but they were both afraid of getting a rejection letter in the mail one day. Robert E. didn't think he could bear being denied a child when he'd already lost so much.

Sully sat underneath the lean to in the woods. He'd been out there for an hour now, and he was already missing his family dearly. Who was he kidding? He was missing them before he even got out of sight of them. They were his whole world now.

He could barely remember the time when his world consisted of this lean-to, his wolf, and the Cheyenne. Wolf and the Cheyenne were still a part of his life, but now he had a wife and five amazing children. He wouldn't take back a single day he'd spent with them, because even the worst things that could happen brought them all closer together when it was all said and done.

Sully had sensed someone following him when he entered the woods, but he couldn't sense anyone watching him now, though he was sure that Bret knew where he was. His heart was pounding a mile a minute, but he was trying to relax and let himself know that this was all going to be over soon enough. He was going to let Bret confront him.

Sully had let Kid Cole know that he was going to let Bret confront him. The ex-outlaw had promised to be in a specific place to meet Sully, when Sully would present him with his fugitive. Sully had to send this man to jail, even though he'd been responsible for the outlaw's brother's death. Bret would be carted off to jail for whatever crimes he'd committed, and Sully would have the chance to explain himself about Tom's death. Once that was over with, he was going ask Cloud Dancing to help him with a healing ritual.

He knew the feeling of guilt would never go away, but he knew that he would be able to find a way to cope with it once the healing ritual began. He went through it once before when Abagail died, and during that period of time, he came to terms with the fact that he was alone and might very well be that way for the rest of his life.

He had never counted on meeting Michaela, and now that she was there in his life, he knew that he could get through any ordeal. Losing Abagail had been hard enough, and this pain wasn't like that of what he felt when he lost her and Hannah. If he could get through the pain of losing a wife and a daughter, he could deal with this, especially since he knew he had a wife and five kids to come home to. The one thing he did know was that he was a very lucky man.

Wolf let out a growl and stood up, bearing his teeth as he stared out into the woods.

"Shh, boy," Sully whispered. He stood slowly facing the opposite direction that his trusty wolf was, quickly taking note that his tomahawk was secured safely on his hip.

"You turn around nice and slow," came the deep growl of the outlaw. Sully swallowed hard, closing his eyes and reliving the death of Tom Jacobs in his mind. He slowly turned to face the man who'd tried to harm him and his family.

"I know why you're here," Sully said quietly.

"Oh, and why's that?"

"You want to kill me."

"You're good," Bret replied with a dry laugh.

"You're hurt and angry, and you just want revenge. I know the feelin'. I know what it's like to lose someone."

"You killed my brother, and you're payin' for his life with your own." He cocked the gun and put his finger of the trigger.

"You don't wanna do this," Sully warned. "You kill me and you'll be goin' away for life."

"Not if I get away first," Bret replied.

"Think about this, Bret," Sully said, slowly shaking his head. "Your brother shot me, was intendin' to kill me, and he woulda hurt my family. You woulda done the same."

"I told him not to fire that gun!" Bret screamed. The clatter made all of the birds in the trees flock off as if they'd all heard a gunshot already.

"I pulled the trigger, I know, but he was about to kill me. I turned the gun around. My finger tapped the trigger and that was the end of it. I ain't proud of what happened, but I can't change it now."

"I wasn't gonna let him hurt your family. I just wanted to get the wagon and horses. We woulda let ya go."

"I didn't know that, and your brother had other intentions."

"That don't matter! You killed him, and now you gotta pay!"

"Ya don't wanna add my murder to the list of charges they got on ya. I can promise ya right now that there's a man waitin' to take you to a marshal. He's waiting just a mile down the road, and if ya kill me, he'll know it."

"You're bluffin'," Bret replied, his hand shaking nervously. Sully knew that this kid was obviously past the point of caring whether or not his finger slipped or not. He was mad with grief, and was willing to do anything to try to ease the pain of his brother's death.

"I ain't bluffin'," Sully replied. "I try my best to be truthful all the time, so I want ya to know that if you kill me, you'll be goin' away for the rest of your life. If ya let me live, ya might get a lighter sentence. Bret slowly removed his hat, and ran his fingers through his dirty, greasy hair.

"Ya know, he was sweet on a girl from our hometown. He was tryin' to get enough money to build her a nice house and ask her to marry him." Sully felt his heart grow heavy. He had to face this.

"He was the favorite, ya know? Our folks hated the both of us, but he got beat the least. He was always stickin' up for me, and you killed him!"

"It was an accident!" Sully called out in desperation as Bret made a step toward him.

"It don't matter! You're gonna die for what you did to my brother!" Bret lunged at Sully, and Sully knew he couldn't let the same thing happen twice. He couldn't let Bret Jacobs die in the way his brother did, but he couldn't let himself get killed either. He had promised his family he'd come home, and he couldn't let them down.

"Ya don't wanna do this, Bret!" Sully managed to yell out as Bret pointed the gun into his side and held his throat with the strength of three men. Sully got the upper hand and kicked Bret's legs to the side, giving him enough strength to roll him to his back and pin him to the ground. Bret's fist flew up to strike Sully in the face. Sully fumbled backward and stood up. Bret brought himself to his feet and pointed the gun at Sully's chest. Sully reached for his tomahawk so he could throw it and hit the gun out of Bret's hand. Unfortunately the tomahawk was now lying at his feet, and he had no way of getting it into his hands before Bret would pull the trigger.

"Tell my brother hello for me when ya see him in Hell," Bret spat out. A moment later, a gunshot rang out and was followed by a thud and complete dead silence.

Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has been reading and reviewing this story! I appreciate all of your help, and I will have more of this story posted soon! Thanks so much!!


	9. The Sweat Lodge

**Chapter 9: The Sweat Lodge**

Michaela stared out her bedroom window as she sat in the rocking chair Sully had made for her when she was carrying the boys. She was holding Daniel in her arms, rocking him to sleep. Colleen was downstairs preparing dinner. Matthew and Brian were cleaning out the stables in the barn, trying to help their mother by keeping as busy as possible and minding her by doing their chores properly.

Connor was already asleep, but his brother hadn't been so eager to do the same. He fought as hard as he could to stay awake through his nap, and Michaela hated to see him fighting so hard just so he wouldn't have to nap. She had picked him up and taken him into her room. It didn't take long for the soothing, gentle rocking motion to put the boy to sleep, and Michaela had been sitting there for twenty minutes, staring out the window and wondering what Sully was doing or where he was.

She knew that if something had gone wrong, she'd be able to feel it in her heart. When David had taken her prisoner, she and Sully had stayed connected through their dreams. They had even felt each other's pain while they were separated. That was a bond that could never be broken. They could find their way back to each other through their dreams, and she was absolutely positive that it would be no different this time around.

She stood from the rocking chair and quietly carried Daniel out of the room and down the hall to his own room. Michaela smiled as he put him down in his bed. She looked over at the two cradles the boys used to sleep in. She knew those would come in hand very soon. She put her hand on her stomach and was overcome with a warm feeling. Though it wasn't fun to gain all of that weight and have a hard time moving around, Michaela couldn't wait until she began to show, so she could point out to the boys that they used to be in there all safe and warm.

"Sleep tight," she whispered to Daniel before closing the door and starting back to the bedroom. Once she was inside, she sat down on the bed and pulled the music box that Sully had bought for her into her lap. She examined the lid and the birthstones that Sully had had specially ordered. Her fingers moved admiringly over the intricate designs. She knew that another birthstone would have to be added before too long. She opened the lid, and the song they first danced to in Boston floated into the air.

Michaela remembered how handsome Sully had looked when he walked into the Quinn house in a tux for the first time. She was sure she wanted to spend forever with him on that very night, but she hadn't admitted it to herself.

Memories began to seep through her mind. She remembered Sully's proposal, his surprise wedding, and the look on his face when he found out he was going to be a pa. Making each other happy seemed to be what both Sully and Michaela were good at. They loved to see each other smile and know that they put those smiles on each other's faces.

"Ma?" came a voice from outside the door. It was Colleen. Michaela closed the lid to the music box and put it back on her nightstand.

"Come in, Colleen," Michaela called, wiping a tear out of the corner of her eye. Colleen stepped into the room.

"Dinner's almost ready."

"That's alright. I'm not very hungry."

"Ma, you gotta eat. If not for you then for the baby." Michaela nodded, knowing her daughter was right. She just didn't feel much like eating since she was worried about Sully.

"I'll be down shortly," Michaela replied. Colleen frowned.

"Ma, he's gonna be alright. He took care of himself out there long before any of us were in his life." Michaela found it odd that her daughter was trying to comfort her when it was usually the other way around. She simply nodded and gave a weak smile, not wanting her child to feel obligated to sit there and feed her words of reassurance.

"I know," she replied. "You go on downstairs. I'll be along in a little while." Colleen cast her mother a worried glance before heading downstairs.

Michaela sighed and walked over to stand next to the window. The sun was just starting to graze the horizon, and the moon was slightly visible in the sky. Michaela hoped Sully was warm enough, and she had to keep telling herself that he would be fine. Of course he knew how to take care of himself.

She shook her head and opened the locket Sully had given her. She slowly closed it again and closed her eyes, hoping that Sully knew her heart would always be with him no matter what.

Michaela felt a wave of nausea hit her, and she slowly made her way over to the bed. When she laid down, her stomach settled, and her hand moved to rest on top of her belly.

"I'll take it easy now," she whispered. "I'm just worrying myself about your papa. He'll be home soon enough, and when he gets home, we'll have the rest of our lives together. He can't wait to meet you. Maybe your first Christmas will be celebrated by your birth." Michaela smiled at the thought of having a new baby around the house at Christmas.

Soon, the smell of dinner wafted into the room, and Michaela felt a bit of an appetite coming back. She sat up slowly and made her way downstairs to be with her family.

"How are ya feelin' ma?" Matthew wondered.

"Much better," she replied. Physically, she was fine, but her emotions were like the wicks of sticks of dynamite, ready to explode at a moment's notice.

"I bet pa will be here by this time tomorrow."

"Don't count on it, Brian," Colleen replied. She looked at Michaela. "Sorry."

"It's alright."

"Don't worry. Sully knows how to keep himself safe, and he ain't gonna let no outlaw hurt him again."

Sully stood over the body of Bret Jacobs. He was dead, and Sully wasn't quite sure that he could believe what had just happened. He looked up at Kid Cole's who's pistol still had smoke coming from the barrel.

"Ya killed him," Sully said quietly.

"I didn't wanna have to, but he was about to kill ya," Kid Cole replied. "I spotted him and followed him right to ya." Sully had faced the man who wanted to kill him for taking his brother's life, and now, that man was dead. Sully realized that his life had nearly been taken, but he'd been saved before that could happen.

"He wanted to kill me for killin' his brother."

"And you don't deserve that, Sully. I ain't known ya very long, but I know ya deserve to have that beautiful wife and those kids you got. They're a good bunch, and you're a lucky man."

"I . . . I don't know how to thank you for savin' my life. I wish it hadn't been saved in place of another one, but I know . . ."

"Don't worry 'bout it, son. Just be glad it wasn't you."

"Help me get him back to town, will ya?"

"I can't," Sully replied. "I have something I gotta do." Sully helped Kid Cole lift the body of Bret Jacobs onto Kid Cole's horse. "Tell my family that I love 'em, and that I'll be home in a few days." Kid Cole tipped his hat and started off with his horse, taking Bret's body back into Colorado Springs.

Sully started off toward the reservation, but was surprised to come across Cloud Dancing near a stream.

"Cloud Dancin'?"

"I knew you'd be here," he said with a smile. He extended his arm, and Sully grasped it in the spirit of friendship and brotherhood.

"I'm sorry I lied to ya."

"You were lost."

"I need to find my way again," he said quietly.

"First, you must heal. We will construct a sweat lodge."

"Here?"

"Yes. You need to be alone in order to heal. I will build a fire, but you must heal alone. That is why you need the water in the stream. Mother Earth will help you heal." Sully rubbed his sore shoulder, knowing it was going to take more than a sweat lodge to heal his arm. But as for the rest of himself, he would leave his own spirit and mind in the hands of the Spirits themselves.

Sully helped his friend construct the sweat lodge, and by the time they were finished, it was dark, and the moon was full and high in the sky. Cloud Dancing built a fire and Sully gathered stones and water to pour over them to make the steam.

Cloud Dancing spoke a Cheyenne ritual chant to ask the spirits to help Sully find his way again. Sully crawled into the sweat lodge, put scorching hot stones into a pile, and poured water over them, causing the pitch-black hut to fill with steam. He stripped out of his clothing and put a buckskin towel around his waist. Cloud Dancing left after he spoke to the spirits, and made sure the fire, stones, and water was near enough for Sully to continue the three-day ritual by himself.

The three days would consist of no food to eat, only water to nourish the soul and cleanse the body. Sully chanted, asking the spirits to help him find his way, and the first vision that came to him was that of his beautiful wife and children smiling and waving at him as he walked into the house.

"Michaela," he whispered as his eyes looked into the pure blackness of the sweat lodge but saw into his family's lives. The vision of killing Tom Jacobs came to him, and he began to tremble in grief and fear. He thought for sure that Tom's spirit was going to kill his, but when the memory began to play over and over again, it began to focus purely on Michaela lying in the wagon with the twins, shielding them from gunfire. The spirits showed Sully what everyone had been telling him and what he'd been trying to convince himself. He was protecting Michaela and the children first and foremost, putting their lives before his own.

Another vision was of Michaela standing before him, her belly protruding from pregnancy. A smile appeared upon her beautiful face as one hand rested on her belly, and the other reached out to him. Sully reached out, and in his vision, he held her close and felt his child kicking him as Michaela's belly pressed against him, as if wanting him to know that his life, and the lives of his wife and children meant more than anything else in the entire world.

Three days had passed, and Michaela was beginning to get worried. Kid Cole had explained to her what had happened and that Sully hadn't been harmed in any way. Michaela knew that Sully was going to go through the healing ritual in a sweat lodge, but she was starting to grow concerned, because her dreams had been filled with visions of Sully lying in a dark sweat lodge, suffering through nightmares and visions of his life and of his future.

She needed to go to him and be by his side, but she knew she shouldn't interrupt this ritual, because it meant a lot to her husband. She only hoped that he would come out of this knowing that he had done the right thing and that he shouldn't let his guilt get in the way of living the rest of his life to the fullest.

Jenny came walking into the clinic with a young girl at her side.

"Jenny? What is it?"

"Some of her friends dared her to jump off the see-saw at recess, and she hurt her arm.

"Oh dear, let me have a look," Michaela said, thinking to herself that kids will be kids. It was little Allison Edwards, and she was quite the tomboy of her class.

Jenny lifted Allison up onto the table.

"Why did you jump off the see-saw, Allison?" Michaela wondered as she started to examine the girl's arm. She whimpered and brushed her tears away with the back of her hand.

"Ella Johnson and Carrie Easton dared me too. They said I could fly if I did."

"You know people can't fly, young lady," Jenny said sternly, though her eyes expressed deep sympathy and concern for the little girl.

"I know, Mrs. Baker. I promise I won't do it again," she whimpered. She screamed in pain when Michaela touched her arm again.

"Oh my," she said softly. "Allison, it appears that you haven't broken your arm. You've just dislocated your shoulder, and I'm going to have to pop it back into place."

"Should you give her something for the pain?"

"Unfortunately the pain medication I have is too strong for such a little girl." Michaela sighed and walked over to get a tongue depressor. "Alright, sweetheart, I need you to bite down hard on this, alright? You bite down hard and don't take this from your mouth until I tell you, alright?" Allison sniffled and nodded obediently.

"What are ya gonna do?"

"I need to pull the joint back into its socket. Will you hold her down for me?" Jenny nodded, and Michaela poised herself to perform this task. "Allison, this is going to hurt, so I need you to be brave for me, alright?" Allison nodded again, whimpering. "It'll only hurt for a moment, and then it'll feel much better." She quickly pulled the arm back into joint, and the little girl let out a shriek and bit the tongue depressor hard.

"There ya go, Allison. Dr. Mike made ya all better." Allison slowly set up with Michaela and Jenny's help.

"Thanks Dr. Mike," Allison said softly, sniffling again.

"I want you to rest for a few hours, and we'll make sure your parents come to get you."

"Okay," Allison replied. Jenny helped her down and took her upstairs to a recovery room to lie down. Michaela smiled, thinking about how much Allison was like Brian. She was a daredevil, but intelligent as well. They had very similar personalities. Brian was sweet on her, Michaela had observed, and she thought they made very good friends.

Allison had just moved from Boulder, Colorado, and it was good to see that she was already making friends, though some of those friends thought they could take advantage of her because she would do almost any dare thrown her way.

Brian came rushing into the clinic.

"Ma! Is Allison alright?" Michaela smiled.

"She's fine now," Michaela replied.

"Can I go see her?"

"She's resting now, but I'm sure she'll be up for some company later."

"Alright," Brian replied, sounding a little disappointed. "Can I go get her some candy at Mr. Bray's store?"

"Go ahead," Michaela replied. "Here's a dime."

"Thanks, ma!" he replied as Michaela tossed him the coin. He rushed across town to the mercantile, and Michaela shook her head, smiling at her son's behavior. She walked into the other room, intending to check on the boys, but she remembered that she'd left the boys with Myra that morning, and since it was Myra's day off, they were at the her home.

Fortunately, Jenny had let school out early, so Brian wasn't missing anything else. Matthew had already made strict plans to go home and work on an essay he had to submit for his entrance into college. Michaela was so proud at how hard he was already working.

Colleen had asked Michaela to stay the night at Becky's house, so at least Michaela knew that her daughter was safe, and after having consulted with Becky's mother, she knew her daughter was in good hands.

Michaela had considered going to find Sully, but she didn't want to leave the boys all alone at the homestead. Matthew had a lot of work to do, so Brian would be fending for himself.

"Michaela?" came Dorothy's voice from the door that Brian had forgotten to shut.

"Oh, Dorothy! Come on in." Dorothy came in and shut the door behind her.

"No word from Sully yet?" Michaela regretfully shook her head.

"Not since Kid Cole came back to town with Brett Jacobs' body."

"You must be worried sick," Dorothy said, shaking her head and putting a sympathetic hand on Michaela's shoulder.

"I know he can take care of himself, but I'm just worried about what this healing ritual is doing to him. He's told me about them before. He goes days without food, and only lives on water."

"A man can do that."

"Yes, but I'm worried, because I don't want him getting sick."

"Sully's gonna be fine, Michaela," Dorothy said with a smile. "But if you're that worried about him, go check on him. I'm sure he wouldn't get upset with ya for bein' concerned."

"You're right," Michaela said with a soft smile. "But I have no one to watch Brian."

"I'll look after him," Dorothy offered. "I'm sure I can find some use for him at the store. He can work off some free candy." Michaela and Dorothy laughed together.

"Alright," she replied. "I'll go find him." Michaela gave her friend a hug, and Dorothy hurried over to the mercantile to let Brian know of the situation. Michaela grabbed her medical bag and went upstairs to tell Jenny to inform Allison's parents of her injury. Jenny assured Michaela that the situation would be handled, so Michaela got the wagon from the livery and started off to find Sully.

Myra was sitting on the front porch of the homestead working on peeling apples for a pie that afternoon. She smiled when she watched Connor and Daniel crawl around on the porch. She and Hank had been getting along so much better now. They had taken a two-day vacation away from work to spend with one another, and now they were both happier than before.

Lately, Myra had been thinking a lot about having children, but she wasn't quite sure if she and Hank were ready. Yes, they both loved each other, were married, and were financially able to support a child, but it seemed like it was too soon. They both had jobs to work at, and it would be hard to find time to spend together as a family.

For now, Myra was content in watching the Sully boys from time to time. They were true sweethearts and were a joy to care for when their mother and father were busy. She knew Hank even enjoyed when the Sully kids would come over. He wasn't home very often during those times, but she had actually seen him enjoying himself while holding one of the twins once. She knew he'd never admit it, but he was becoming adjusted to the idea of having children around.

"Mama," Connor called out, looking around for his mother. Myra put the peeling knife and the bowl of apples down on a small table and picked the boy up into her arms.

"Your ma won't be here for a couple more hours, sweetheart," Myra replied. "Don't worry. I'm gonna take good care of both of ya." Connor loved Myra, but he wanted his mother now. He began to cry, and soon, Daniel was crying too. Myra picked Daniel up as well and headed inside. The front door opened, and Hank walked in. "Hank! Thank goodness you're home!"

"I just came to get . . ." he started, but Myra cut him off by putting Daniel in his arms.

"They want their ma," Myra replied.

"Well take 'em back into town and hand 'em over," Hank replied, sitting down at the dinner table.

"Hank!" Myra exclaimed. "C'mon and help me. If we're ever gonna have little ones someday, you're gonna have to figure out how to get 'em to stop cryin'." Hank knew he had to get back into town to the saloon, but the look on his wife's face told him that she needed him.

"Alright, alright," he mumbled. He began to bounce Daniel on his knee. "Alright, it's okay. Uncle Hank's here." Myra grinned at Hank's words and sat down in a chair with Connor in her arms. She began to rocking him back and forth.

"Shh, it's alright, sweetheart," she whispered. "Your mama will be here soon, so right now, ya just gotta be good 'til she gets here." The boys continued to cry, and Hank wasn't sure how much more he could take. He's just lost three hundred dollars in a poker game, he hadn't had a smoke since noon, and he was running on an empty stomach.

"Myra, can't ya do this? I got things to do in town." Myra glared at Hank, her lips set in a thin line.

"If you can't help me for five minutes with these boys, maybe we shouldn't even think about having babies of our own." Hank sighed. He knew that it wasn't the time to have kids yet for either of them, but he knew that Myra wanted to have a couple of them sometime down the road. Since Zack couldn't come to live with them, he knew Myra enjoyed having the boys around sometimes, because it was practice for her. Hank knew he should be more supportive, but unfortunately, it was hard to do so when there were two screaming babies in the house, and he was already trying to get over a horrible headache.

"I'm sorry," he said honestly. "I'll try harder." He stood up and walked outside with the boy in his arms, sat on the porch and began to talk to him soothingly. Myra sat inside, trying to get the other boy to calm down, and once he had, she could hear Hank's soothing words to the boy, and her beliefs that he was going to be a good pa were once again confirmed.

After an hour of searching, Michaela came upon the sweat lodge next to the stream. She wasn't sure what to do, or if the healing ritual had been completed yet. But once she saw Sully leave the sweat lodge and stretch his muscles, she knew he was done. He looked so much more relaxed now, though she knew he could use something to eat. That was why she had stopped by Grace's first to pick him up something to eat.

"Sully!" she called out. Sully turned around quickly, hearing her voice, and wondering for a moment whether or not she was real. He had seen so many visions over the past few days that he wasn't quite sure what was real and what wasn't.

"Michaela?" he asked. She smiled and began to run toward him. He knew from the moment she rushed into his arms that this was real. Michaela put the picnic basket and her medical bag down before letting Sully envelop her into his arms. "It's really you?"

"Yes," she whispered, attacking his lips with kisses. Sully felt her lips upon his, and her tongue seeking entrance into his mouth. He parted his lips to grant her access, and their caressed one another as they got reacquainted with each other for the first time in three days. Three days didn't seem like long to many people, but the anxiety and stress on both of their parts had seemed like an eternity.

There wasn't time for talk now. They just needed to be with one another and reassure each other that everything was fine now.

"I need you," Sully whispered. "I've missed you." Michaela looked toward the sweat lodge, and Sully followed her gaze. Without words, Sully scooped her up into his arms and carried her to his place of healing. He pulled back one of the furs and guided her inside. The steam had gone away, and what lay before Michaela's eyes was nothing but a bed of fur and a pile of since-cooled stones.

Michaela laid back onto the bed of fur, and she felt her breathing quicken as Sully crawled in, leaving the fur flap lifted in order for them to see one another. Sully was dressed in nothing but the towel he'd been wearing during the ritual, and Michaela had to admit that she was glad of that. It had been three long days and nights since she'd last seen her husband, and she needed to feel his heart beating against hers, and to feel him moving within her, caressing all of her worries away.

Sully crawled over his wife, gently unbuttoning the top of her dress, pushing it over her shoulders to reveal her undershirt. Michaela maneuvered herself in such a way to help Sully remove the dress without tearing it to shreds, which he felt like doing so he could get to her; be with her. Sully removed the pins from Michaela's hair, and it fell loosely over her shoulders and down her back. She closed her eyes and lifted her arms so Sully could remove the undershirt. He pulled her into his arms, kissing her lips with renewed ecstasy. Michaela moaned into his mouth, feeling his rippling muscles against her bare skin.

He moved to take her out of the rest of her underclothes, and he feasted his eyes on her glorious naked body as he removed her shoes. Michaela fixed her eyes onto her husband's, and the longing desire that both felt for one another was apparent in both of them.

Michaela's heart began to race, and Sully tossed her shoes aside. He spent an extra long time kissing and caressing her body with his lips and tongue, moving from her feet to her thighs. Michaela spread herself for him, and he stroked her, entering her with two and then three fingers. She bit her bottom lip but kept her eyes open. She wanted to see what Sully was doing to her. She'd fantasized about their reunion all day and night the day before, and now it was coming true. Here he was, making love to her with just his fingers, and the desire building in her center was being taken care of with gentle touches and strokes.

"Sully," she moaned. Sully removed his hand from between her legs, and continued exploring her body with his mouth, kissing her belly and sweetly torturing her breasts with his tongue. "I need you," she whispered as his lips met hers again in a kiss that would make a person see stars!

Michaela removed the towel from her husband's body, never breaking their kiss, and he embedded himself within her, and she happily except every bit of him. They were connected through body and soul, and when Michaela did pull away, she looked up into his eyes, seeing a new light shining there. He didn't have to tell her in so many words, because she knew that he had come to terms with what had happened. She couldn't be sure, but she had the feeling that she'd no longer be woken at night by Sully's nightmares.

Sully needed to show Michaela how much he'd missed her, but he wasn't quite sure he had the strength. For a moment, his heart was beating so fast that he thought it'd burst. But the one thing that ran through his mind was that if he was to die right now, he'd die the happiest man in the world.

He began to move within her, not taking his time to let her catch her breath. She didn't want him to wait either. She needed to make love with him and feel the waves of pleasure that they both experienced when they were together. She bent her knees a bit, and entangled her legs with his. She moved her hips to meet his thrusts, and she felt the tension in her center beginning to build up. She laced one of his hands with hers, and brought it down between her legs, her eyes telling him what she needed. Sully began to stroke her, knowing exactly what she needed. Michaela entangled her fingers in her husband's hair and began to kiss his neck, tasting the salty sweat that had covered both of their bodies.

He thrust inside of her again, and she let out a soft moan, gently raking her fingernails across his back. Sully moaned in pleasure as Michaela bent to kiss his chest. Her tongue followed a path from his beautifully sculpted chest to his neck, and as Sully brought her over the edge, he continued to massage her.

His free hand brushed across her outer thigh, and tenderly squeezed her, and Michaela let her head fall back, exposing her neck to her husband.

Several minutes later, he brought her over the edge again before spilling himself inside of her. When he pulled away, Michaela wrapped herself in his arms and rested her head upon his chest. His hand instinctively began to rub her shoulder. He looked down at her, and she brought her lips up to meet his in a soft kiss, still tasting the sweat of their passion on each other's skin. Michaela rested her head upon his chest again, and she could feel his heartbeat steadily decreasing to a normal pace.

"Are you alright?" Sully wondered after several moments of silence.

"I'm wonderful," she whispered. "Sully, I've missed you."

"I can tell," he replied, nuzzling the top of her head. Michaela smiled, basking in the glory of her reunion with her husband. Her hand stroked his arm.

"I don't mean to pry," she began, "but I'd like to know about this ritual. I know you've explained it to me, but I'd like to know what you went through." She picked up his tired hand and kissed his knuckles. She tilted her head up to look him in the eyes. His eyes were half-lidded from exhaustion and satisfaction. "That is . . . if you don't mind."

"I don't mind," he replied. He pulled her closer and pulled a fur skin over them. "I saw myself killin' Tom over and over again. But each time I saw it, the focus was more on you and the boys. I began to realize for myself what you've been tellin' me all along. I did it to protect you, and I know I'd do it again in a heartbeat if it'd spare you or the kids from hurtin'."

"I know you'd do anything to protect our family," Michaela whispered. "I think you're courageous, and I admire you even more for actually feeling guilt and regret."

"It's not really the regret," he replied. "I felt more guilty than anything, but I didn't regret protectin' my family."

"Well, either way, I admire you even more, because you showed emotion. I've seen people who've killed and showed no remorse. I've even seen people who've killed in self defense who showed no remorse. You have a good heart and a kind spirit, Sully. That's one of the many reasons that I fell in love with you." Sully leaned down to kiss her softly. "What else did you see?"

"You, mostly, and the children. I've always put you and the kids first, but the visions I had made me realize that you are my future. I'm not just living in the present. We have a baby on the way, and that's the future. Our kids are growin' up, and they're our future. We're going to be together 'til the end of our days. We're the future."

"Indeed we are," Michaela replied. "So you're coming home now?"

"'Course I am."

"We've missed you."

"It's been three days."

"I know," Michaela replied. "But Brian's been missing going fishing with you. Connor and Daniel just don't know what to do without you. It seems to take them even longer to put to sleep when you're not home." Sully smiled.

"Well, I'm comin' home now." He kissed his wife and brushed his thumb over her soft lips. "Nothin' is gonna make me go away again."


	10. Growing Up

**Chapter 10: Growing Up**

Cloud Dancing and Snow Bird were celebrating the first year of their daughter's life. She had survived the winter thanks to Michaela and Sully, and today marked the anniversary of her birth. Cloud Dancing and Snow Bird had brought the child by the Sully homestead, where Michaela had presented her with a blanket, and Sully had presented her with a necklace made especially for her by her white father.

Now that the Cheyenne family had departed for the reservation, Colleen, Brian, and Matthew were cleaning up from the party they'd thrown. Cheyenne didn't typically throw parties, but Sully and Michaela had insisted on giving their Cheyenne daughter a proper first birthday party. They loved having the opportunity to spent time with her, and the kids enjoyed being around Cloud Dancing as well.

While the children were inside cleaning up, Michaela was sitting on the porch, enjoying the beautiful June afternoon. The front door was propped open, and the nine-month-old boys were sitting on the porch, playing together as Wolf and Pup pushed them around with their cold, wet noses.

Sully was up atop the roof, working on fixing a leak, which had sprung the night before during a terrible storm. Michaela could hear him hammering away, and she was beginning to get a headache.

Connor had a funny but determined look on his face, and Michaela began to wonder if that was a look Sully had seen on her face before. She couldn't help but smile and wonder what was going through her little boy's mind.

Daniel, on the other hand, was reaching out to Pup. He grabbed the wolf's tail and gave it a yank. Though he wasn't strong yet, his tug had been hard enough to make the dog yelp and snap. He wouldn't dare to hurt the baby, but he sure was getting tired of being pulled on!

"No, Danny!" Brian exclaimed, rushing out the door. Daniel, understanding the world 'no,' let go of Pup's tail. Brian sighed and looked at Michaela.

"Ma," he groaned.

"I think your little brother is in need of a nap," Michaela pointed out, starting to get up.

"I'll take him. You rest," he said with a smile. Brian was turning into quite a sweet young man, Michaela noticed. He had just turned ten a few days ago, and had received his own horse from Michaela and Sully, with the help of Cloud Dancing. He'd named the horse Taffy, and he'd been nearly inseparable from that horse since he'd gotten it. Sully and Michaela only thought it was fair that he get his own horse, since he was growing up, because Sully had already made plans with Robert E. in town to purchase a horse for Colleen's upcoming fourteenth birthday. It was less that two weeks away.

Just as Brian was reaching down to pick Daniel up, the boy grabbed hold of his brother's pant leg, and slowly pulled himself to his feet.

"Ma!" Brian exclaimed. Michaela's eyes went wide, and she stood quickly.

"Sully!" she exclaimed. Sully, hearing his wife's calls and thinking something was wrong, started down the ladder and nearly fell in the process. He rushed around to the front of the house just in time to see that his son was sitting on his bottom.

"What happened?!" he asked. "Is everyone alright?"

"Daniel was standing!" she exclaimed, picking her son up in her arms. Sully breathed a sigh of relief, happy that nobody was hurt.

"Only for a few seconds, but he was," Brian said with a nod. Sully smiled, forgetting for a few moments that he'd nearly fallen off of a ladder as he was rushing to his wife's aide. Brian picked up Connor. "I bet Connor will do it soon too."

"That's my boys," Sully said with a grin, patting Daniel's soft head. Connor crawled over to Pup and tried to sit on him, but the dog rolled over, making the task a bit difficult.

"Dog," he said with a grin. Connor and Daniel had been learning words and games lately, and they were picking up on them very well. Michaela was amazed at how fast her children were growing. In three short months, she would be celebrating her boys' first birthdays.

Colleen and Matthew had joined their family on the porch, and everyone was so excited that Daniel had pulled himself to his feet for the first time. Everyone was sure that the twins would be walking soon enough.

Once the children had gone back inside to finish their chores, Michaela and Sully settled down on the porch steps, each holding a son in their lap.

"I can't believe they're about ready to start walking. I just hope that Daniel's falling won't affect his wanting to walk." Sully smiled.

"All babies do that," Sully replied. "I've seen it lots of times at the reservation."

"I know," Michaela replied with a smile. "It's not like riding a horse. Walking is something that comes naturally to most people, but riding a horse is something you've got to learn."

"Like you had to learn," Sully replied.

"So did you!" Michaela laughed. "I learned before you did." Sully rolled his eyes.

"I s'pose ya did." He leaned over to kiss her.

"It's such a beautiful day," Michaela commented. "It's a shame we're wasting it here at the house."

"Why don't we all go for a walk?"

"A walk sounds lovely," Michaela replied with a smile. Just as they were about to stand, a rider approached. It was Hank!

"Hank? What's goin' on?" Sully wondered.

"Kid Cole's back in town, and there's somethin' you gotta hear," he said quickly. Kid Cole had left once the dust had settled after Bret and Tom Jacobs' death. It was quite a surprise that he'd returned so quickly. His presence had made the town feel safe, and Brian had even written his final essay for school on Kid Cole helping his pa stop Bret Jacobs.

"I'll hitch up the wagon," Sully said quickly. Michaela gathered both of her sons into her arms, and Sully started off toward the barn. Michaela took the boys into the homestead.

"Will you three watch your brothers? Your father and I need to go into town."

"Is everything alright?" Colleen wondered.

"I'm sure everything's fine."

"Go on then," Matthew replied. "We'll look after Connor and Danny." Michaela smiled and nodded her head. She turned quickly, grabbed her medical bag, and left the homestead, shutting the door behind her.

Sully pulled the wagon up to the front of the homestead, reached his hand out to Michaela, and helped her in. Hank rode off toward town, while Michaela and Sully followed closely behind.

They followed Hank all the way into town, and pulled up at the livery. Sully helped Michaela down, and they started over toward the center of town. A crowd was gathered around Kid Cole who was trying to keep the peace in town.

"Are our children safe?" one woman wondered.

"Is he dangerous?" a man asked. Michaela and Sully battled their way through the crowd with Hank leading the way.

"Oh how glad I am to see you folks," Kid Cole said once he spotted the Sullys. Sully clasped hands with the man, and they shook.

"What's going on?" Michaela insisted immediately.

"I was in Denver, 'bout to go lookin' for a bunch of cow rustlers when I got word that somebody had broken out of prison. Don't worry, he ain't anywhere near these parts yet, but he's on his way." The first thing that came to both Sully and Michaela's minds was David Luther. But he wasn't a threat to them, was he?

"What's this got to do with us, Kid Cole?" Sully wondered. Jake put his hand on Sully's shoulder, a grim look upon his face.

"It's Ethan Cooper."

"You're sayin' he's comin' for us?" Matthew asked as the Sully family sat around the dinner table that evening.

"I'm not sure what's going to happen," Michaela interrupted. "All we know is that he escaped from a Denver prison a few days ago, and he's heading toward Colorado Springs."

"He ain't gonna take us away is he?" Brian asked with worry in his voice.

"Brian, the only thing Ethan's gonna do is go back to prison where he belongs," Sully pointed out.

"What are we gonna do if he gets here?" Colleen wondered. Michaela and Sully looked at one another.

"We'll discuss that later," Michaela replied. "Right now, I think it would be best if the three of you went up to bed."

"But school's out, ma," Brian said softly.

"Do as your ma says."

"What about the chores?"  
"We'll take care of them," Michaela replied. The children looked at one another before starting upstairs. Michaela picked up Daniel into her arms. The boy had managed to fall asleep during dinner, and it was time he and his brother went to bed. Sully took Connor, and the boys were put up to bed a few minutes later.

When they were back downstairs, Michaela began to clean up, and Sully noticed that her hands were trembling. Sully put his hand on her back, and Michaela turned around quickly. He saw the fear in her eyes, and he hated seeing it there.

"Sully, what are we going to do? We can't let Ethan hurt the children."

"That won't happen," Sully promised. "They're gonna be safe."

"We need to take precautions."

"Like what?"

"We could have the children stay with someone. Maybe Myra and Hank could take them in. I'd hate to ask them, though, because they've done that quite a few times. Perhaps Grace and Robert E. could look after them. They're in town, so they would be a bit safer." Sully nodded.

"I think you're right."

"You do?" Michaela hoped.

"'Course I do. I happen to believe that a ma does what she thinks is best for her kids. Most ma's anyway." He kissed her softly. "You are a good ma, Michaela. No matter what happens, I know that won't ever change." Michaela smiled, grateful for Sully's confidence in her.

"So we'll ask Robert E. and Grace in the morning? I'm sure Anthony would appreciate the company."

"Sure thing," Sully replied softly.

"Do you think Connor and Daniel are safe?"

"I wouldn't put anything past Ethan Cooper," Sully admitted. "They'll be safe with Grace and Robert E., and we'll stay in town at the clinic just to make sure nothin' happens." Michaela nodded. "Don't fret now. You need to get some rest. I'll finish up down here."

"I'm not tired," Michaela insisted.

"But you gotta rest. The baby needs ya to rest." He placed his hand on her stomach, and she smiled lovingly.

"You're right," she whispered. Sully raised an eyebrow. "Hey, don't let it go to your head." Sully laughed and pulled Michaela into a kiss before she reluctantly pulled away and retreated up the stairs.

Sully finished up with the dishes and chores downstairs, and when he was finished, he walked outside to sit on the porch. He looked up at the starry night sky and wondered what life would have been like if he had never gotten on that train to Boston; if he had never met Michaela.

It seemed strange to think about it, because he wouldn't have had his life turn out any other way. Michaela and the children gave his life a new meaning, and gave him a new reason for living. He had been so lost after Abagail and Hannah's deaths, and once he found his way again, he never thought once about sharing that life and way with another person. Michaela had changed all of that, and he was grateful for her presence in his life.

A coyote howled in the distance, and Wolf's ears perked up. Sully patted him atop the head and looked out towards Pike Peak. He sighed as the wind blew through the trees, rustling the green June leaves. They were black against the night sky, and Sully began to think about how everything seemed black and white at night, like a living photograph. When the sun came out in the morning, it seemed to unveil all of the secrets of the night.

A floorboard creaked behind Sully, and he turned around slowly to see Brian standing there.

"Pa?"

"Brian, what's wrong? It's getting late."

"I can't get to sleep. Can I sit with you for awhile?"

"Sure," Sully replied with a smile. He scooted over on the step so Brian could sit down beside him. Sully put his arm around his son.

"Pa?" Brian asked.

"Hmm?" Sully wondered, still feeling his heart warm when the kids called him 'pa.'

"He's not gonna hurt us, is he?"

"I won't let him," Sully replied.

"I don't wanna go anywhere with him."

"You don't have to, son."

"But I feel bad." Sully turned to Brian.

"What do ya feel bad about?"

"He was our first pa, and he was part of the reason I was born. Same with Colleen and Matthew. If our real ma hadn't met him, we wouldn't be here now."

"That's the one thing that I'm grateful to Ethan for," Sully replied, patting his son's back.

"But isn't it wrong to wish somethin' bad to happen to your real pa?" Sully cleared his throat.

"I ain't sayin' it's good to wish bad things on anybody, but sometimes the mind can't help it. He was your real pa, but just 'cause he helped make you didn't make him a father. Bein' a pa means bein' there for your family, lovin' 'em, and helpin' 'em through the tough times. Same thing goes for bein' a ma."  
"I miss my real ma sometimes."

"There's nothin' wrong with that. We all miss Charlotte."

"Even ma?"

"'Course she misses her. Charlotte was a good friend."  
"Sometimes I feel bad for bein' happy. Sometimes I think that I should be sad."

"Why do ya say that?"

"Because my real ma is up in Heaven, and we're down here with a new family."

"That's what she wanted, Brian," Sully replied, squeezing his shoulder. "That's why she made all those arrangements before she died. She wanted you, Matthew, and Colleen to have a good family. You are happy here, aren't ya?"

"'Course I am. I just wish my real ma was here too so she could be happy with us."

"I'm sure that she's happy and watchin' over us all right now."

"Ya don't think ma would be mad that I wish my real ma was here, do ya?"

"Brian, we want ya to be happy, and I'm sure your ma doesn't mind one bit that you think of your real ma, ya miss her, and ya wish she was here to be happy with ya. It's normal."

"Sully?"

"Hmm?"

"Do ya ever think about your ma and pa?" Sully swallowed hard as Brian leaned his head on his father's shoulder.

"Yeah. I do," he replied quietly. Brian fell asleep shortly after, and Sully took him upstairs to bed. He checked on the other children before turning down all of the lamps and joining his sleeping wife in their bedroom.

The sun rose early, and Michaela woke after getting a good nine hours of sleep. She still felt tired, but she expected that with being pregnant.

Sully was still sleeping when she climbed out of bed, and she knew she had better get the boys up and ready. They would be grumpy if they slept too long. So, she quickly dressed and sat down to run a brush through her hair. She felt like wearing her hair down today, so she left it hanging loosely down her back. She started to stand up when she felt her stomach give way to nausea. She rushed out of the room and to the washroom, hoping she could hold on to find the pot to empty her stomach into.

Sully woke to the retching sounds coming from the washroom, and he knew Michaela was being bothered by morning sickness again. He got out of bed and pulled his pants on. He decided to get the boys woken up so she wouldn't have so much to do.

When he started down the hall to the boys' room, he could hear movement downstairs. He could smell bacon and hear it crackling on the skillet. Colleen was up. Sully walked into the bedroom and both of the boys were sleeping.

"Alright guys, it's time to get up." Sully picked them both up into his strong arms, and they whined as he carried them down the hall to the washroom for their morning baths. He passed Michaela in the hall, and her face was pale.

"Mornin'."

"Mhm," she mumbled.

"Go lie down, and I'll take care of this." Michaela nodded, not feeling like doing much else at the moment. Sully took the boys into the washroom, put them down in the empty tub, and went downstairs to get the water that Colleen heated up every morning for the sole purpose of the boys' baths. He noticed that Brian was outside playing with Pup and Wolf, but the barn had been left unattended. Matthew's job was supposed to be to clean out the stables. Sully had asked him to do so three days ago, and it still wasn't finished.

Sully sighed, knowing that Matthew had been busy with preparing for college, but he couldn't neglect his chores either. He carried two pails of hot water upstairs and set them down in the washroom. He turned around, walked down the hall, and knocked on Matthew's door.

"Matthew?"

"Five more minutes," Matthew grumbled in his sleep. Sully knocked again.

"C'mon, son. It's time to get up." Matthew had to get this done today, because he would be staying in town with Robert E. and Grace for the next few days. The barn couldn't be left unattended for that long.

"Five more minutes!" he repeated. Sully banged on the door, prompting Brian to come out of his room, rubbing his eyes.

"What's goin' on?"

"I'm tryin' to wake your brother up."

"Oh, I can do that," Brian replied with a gleam in his eye. He pounded on the door. "Matthew! Matthew! Wake up! Ingrid's here!" The sound of two feet thudding on the floor was followed by the door swinging open. Sully laughed to himself, and Matthew looked at Brian. "Piece of cake."

"What's goin' on?"

"You promised me three days ago that you'd clean out the barn."  
"I'm tired, pa," Matthew replied.

"You were restin' all day yesterday," Sully replied. "I know ya been workin' hard, but ya made a promise." Matthew sighed and nodded.

"I'll get it done." He went back into his room to get dressed, and Sully went back into the washroom to give the boys their morning baths.

Meanwhile, Michaela was sitting up in bed. She knew she wouldn't be able to get anymore sleep. It was almost impossible to sleep in the mornings or afternoons with a house full of children and one more on the way.

She sighed heavily and rested her head back on the pillow. Her stomach felt as if it was doing cartwheels and somersaults inside of her. Her head ached, her muscles were sore, and this was only the third month. She knew what was in store for her, but she had temporarily forgotten about all of the swelling, aches, and pains that came along with pregnancy once the boys came into the world.

Michaela found herself becoming increasingly warm, so she got out of bed and walked over to the window. She opened it and breathed in the fresh morning mountain air. The sun was shining, and the day was bright and beautiful already.

A moment later, she heard her name being called, splashing and a thud, and became alarmed. Michaela rushed out of the bedroom and down the hall to the washroom. When she walked inside, the sight before her was definitely not an alarming one. Sully was sitting on the floor in a puddle of water while Connor and Daniel were both standing in the washtub, their hands on the side, with proud grins on their faces.

"What happened?!" she wondered. Sully started to laugh.

"The boys started standin' up, I wanted to call ya in here to see, but I tripped over a pail of water, fell, and here we are." Michaela bit her bottom lip and grinned.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Look! They're standin' up!" The boys' strength wasn't built up very high yet, and their little legs gave way. Both of them splashed down into the water, giggling and splashing all along the way. Matthew, Colleen, and Brian all rushed into the room.

"What happened?!" they wondered. With that, Michaela and Sully looked at one another and proceeded to burst into laughter, beginning the day happily but not sure of what the rest of the afternoon would bring.

"Of course we'll watch 'em," Grace said, looking at Michaela and Sully as she scooped out pieces of apple pie for Anthony and Mary. "We ain't got lots of room, but I can make up some beds. We've got a . . . a cradle the boys can share." She looked away, thinking of the baby daughter she'd lost not so long ago. Michaela put a hand on her friend's arm.

"Thank you, Grace. This means a lot."

"We'll keep quiet about it, too," Robert E. replied. "Ethan Cooper is bad news, and we ain't gonna let 'im hurt those children." Sully nodded in appreciation, put his arm around Michaela, and walked with her toward the clinic with the boys in tow.

"You sure you're feelin' up to stayin' at the clinic today?"

"I'm fine," Michaela replied. "The nausea's gone, and I've got work to do anyway. Could you possibly ride out to the homestead with children and pack up a few things?"

"'Course," Sully replied with a smile. He leaned in to give his wife a kiss. "You sure you're feelin' fine?"

"I'm fine," Michaela replied. They walked into the side room and put the boys down for a nap. Michaela gave her husband another kiss before he left the clinic to get the kids. Michaela settled down at her desk and began to go over her books. As she was doing so, she heard screams coming from outside.

"Dr. Mike!" Olive called as she rushed across the street. Michaela rushed to the door and went outside.

"Olive? What is it?"

"It's Loren! He's been shot!" Gunfire sounded again, and Michaela and Olive rushed into the clinic to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. "That's him!" Michaela looked at Olive, fearing the worst.

"Who?" Michaela asked.

"Ethan Cooper." Michaela felt her heart skip a beat, and a few moments later, the sound of boots on the porch of the clinic were heard next. The door opened all the way, and Ethan Cooper stood in the doorway.

"Dr. Quinn," he said with a crazed look in his eyes. "I believe you have somethin' that belongs to me."

"You won't get them!" Michaela warned.

"Oh I will," he replied with a snigger. "You're comin' with me."

"I won't!"

"Unless you want me to kill this innocent lady, I'd do as I say." He squinted into the dimly lit room. "Miss Olive? You're lookin' mighty fine."

"Can't say the same 'bout you," Olive rebutted. Ethan sneered down at them. Prison had changed him for the worse, and Michaela knew he was being serious. Ethan pulled back the hammer and put his finger on the trigger. When Michaela didn't get up, he shot out one of the clinic windows.

"Alright! I'll go!" she screamed. She stood slowly, and Ethan grabbed her roughly by the arm. Olive began to hyperventilate, knowing that her brother lie shot just a ways down the street, and the doctor was being taken away.

"Come on nice and quiet."

"You've created a scene, Mr. Cooper," Michaela managed to choke out.

"If they know what's good for you and themselves, they won't come lookin' for us without bringin' my kids with 'em." Kid Cole appeared in the doorway with his gun pointed directly at Ethan's back.

"Turn around real slow, Mr. Cooper." Ethan didn't waste anytime. He threw Michaela to the ground, and knocked Kid Cole flat on his back. Kid Cole went unconscious after hitting his head, and Michaela hit the floor with a heavy thud. Ethan grabbed her again, this time by the hair, and pulled her to her feet. As he was dragging her out the door, the twins began to scream in the other room. Ethan threw Michaela face down onto his horse and rode off out of town. Grace rushed into the clinic.

"Miss Olive! What happened?!"

"Ethan Cooper shot Loren and took off with Dr. Mike!" Olive exclaimed. "The boys are in the other room. Stay with 'em! I have to get to my brother." Olive rushed out of the clinic and down the street to the mercantile.

Sully rode into town with the children and the things they needed for the next few nights. Sully didn't know what to think when he saw a group crowded outside of the mercantile. Hank was kneeling beside Kid Cole at the clinic, trying to get him to wake up. The older man finally came to his senses and joined the rest of the crowd over at the mercantile. Sully and the children broke through the mob of people, and saw Grace standing with the twins on each of her hips.

"What happened?" Sully demanded.

"Ethan Cooper came after the children and took Dr. Mike instead," Grace said with worry in her voice.

"No!" Matthew screamed. "I'll kill him!" Matthew rushed to get a horse, and Brian followed. "Stay here, little brother."

"No! She's my ma too!" Sully felt his blood boiling at the thought of Ethan Cooper's grubby hands on his wife.

"Both of you stay here with your sister! I'm gonna find 'em!"

"No!" Olive screamed. "He said that nobody better come after 'em unless you bring the children. I think he's truly intendin' to kill Dr. Mike if he don't get those kids."

"We ain't goin' with him!" Colleen screamed. "We have to get ma back!"

"It's gonna be alright," Sully promised. "I'll be careful not to let him see me. I'm gonna try to get her back." Which way did he ride? A few townsfolk had seen him take off with her, and pointed him in the right direction. Sully mounted a horse and rode off, swearing to whatever power was watching over them that he was going to find her and bring her back, no matter what.

"Colleen!" Olive called. Colleen looked at Miss Olive. "Loren's shot, and your ma's not here. I need you to take care of him."

"But I . . ."

"You're his only hope, Colleen," Dorothy said with tears in her eyes. Matthew, still reeling from the news of his mother's kidnapping, put his hand on his sister's back.

"You can do it, Colleen." Colleen was shaking, but she knew Michaela would want her to be strong. She looked at Jake.

"Mr. Slicker, I'll need your help." Jake swallowed hard, knowing he couldn't let his friend die and not do anything to stop it.

"I'll help ya get him to the clinic."

Michaela sat upon a pile of smelly old bearskins in the corner of an abandoned mine. Sully knew the mines like the back of his own hand, so Michaela felt confident that he was going to find her.

Her hand was on my stomach as she began to worry about her baby again. But her mind was also wandering to the children, her husband, and Loren, who could be dying for all she knew. She knew she had to be strong, and she couldn't let Ethan know she was pregnant. If he knew that, he might use it against her. She couldn't risk it.

Ethan sat upon an old crate, polishing his gun. Michaela found it mildly ridiculous. Why was it that outlaws and army soldiers alike always polished their weapons when holding their prisoners hostage? Was it some way to assert their status as a superior; the alpha male? At least wolves were respected. Outlaws didn't deserve that kind of respect, and Michaela didn't intend to show respect to Ethan Cooper, though she knew she had to be careful for the sake of her unborn baby.

"What do you intend to do with me?" Michaela managed to say after several minutes of silence. Ethan paused his actions for a moment long enough to cast a cold stare in Michaela's direction. The look in his eyes chilled Michaela to the very core.

"I never wanted to hurt any of ya, but ya left me no choice. If I don't get my kids, I'm gonna kill ya." Miss Olive heard me well and clear, so she better know to step up and let your husband know to bring my kids."

"You know you're a wanted man. Ethan, do you want to take the children into that danger?"

"I'll take care of my own," Ethan replied. "You don't need to worry about 'em anymore."

"Ethan, you do know that Sully and I have custody."

"That don't matter. Blood is blood, and those kids are my blood!"

"Think about this, Ethan," Michaela warned. "If you harm me, those children will never trust you again." She knew they would never trust him, but she had to keep calm and limit herself on the things she was saying to him. She couldn't anger him in any way.

"I won't harm you unless your precious Sully doesn't bring my children to me."

"And if he doesn't?" Michaela swallowed hard, waiting anxiously for Ethan's next words.  
"I recall hearin' 'bout his first wife dyin'. I'd hate for him to have to bury another one."


	11. Onward

**Chapter 11: Onward**

Grace, Anthony, Robert E. and the Sully twins were seated outside of the clinic alongside Miss Olive, Dorothy, Hank, Myra, Horace, and Mary. Reverend Johnson was inside of the clinic with Colleen and Jake, praying for Loren's oh-so-fragile life. Matthew and Brian were at the immigrant camp with Ingrid, debating on whether or not to go out into the woods to look for their birth father and Michaela. They knew it was dangerous, but they didn't feel like they could just sit back and let all of this happen. They had to protect their mother and unborn brother or sister. Matthew didn't have a lot of time left in Colorado Springs, as he would be moving to Denver in two very short months. He wanted to keep his family together, and if that meant beating Ethan to a pulp to rescue Michaela, he'd do it.

Olive was pacing outside of the clinic now, reminiscing about the good times that she and her brother had shared in the past. She was scared, knowing that Colleen and Jake were with him without Michaela's presence. Colleen had assisted Michaela with several surgeries in which a bullet had to be carefully extracted, and she had even removed a couple of them herself, but never one this serious or this deep.

The bullet was lodged somewhere in the abdominal cavity, and everyone was praying that Colleen could safely remove it and stop the bleeding. Loren was one of the town's most beloved, albeit slightly grumpy citizens, and nobody was ready to see him go just yet.

Inside of the clinic, Reverend Johnson was praying and holding the mirrored-lantern to give Colleen better light. Jake was trying his hardest not to faint. He'd seen blood in his days, but he had never had to witness this kind of procedure on someone he was close to.

"Mr. Slicker, hand me the small forceps," Colleen instructed. She had pointed out to him which instrument to hand her when it was necessary to use it, and he couldn't stall for a moment or else his friend's life might slip further and further away.

Jake reached over to hand her the instrument.

"He needs more chloroform," Colleen commented. Jake placed another chloroform-dampened rag in front of Loren's nose and mouth for a few moments. "I see the bullet," Colleen said, her hand starting to shake for a moment. She took a deep breath. Jake cleared his throat.

"You're doin' a good job, Colleen. You're gonna make a good doctor just like your ma."

Sully slowed his horse to a halt after hearing a rider approaching on another horse. Wolf, who was running ahead, began to bark after catching a whiff of Michaela's scent. Sully saw the rider appear around a bend.

"Kid Cole?" he asked.

"Hope ya don't mind me comin' along. I've got a murderin' kidnapper to take in."

"My wolf picked up the trail," Sully replied, thankful for the company. All along the way, he had the most horrid worries running through his mind. He hoped that Michaela wasn't harmed, but he knew that if he wasn't careful, she could be hurt during the rescue.

"That wife of yours sure has been through a lot, huh?"

"More than anybody could know," Sully replied, swallowing hard and tightening his grip on the reins of his horse. Kid Cole's horse picked up the pace a little, and the men saw Wolf start into a run. Sully whistled for him to stop. The dog halted and waited for his master to approach.

"What are ya plannin' on doin' once we find her?"

"We can't provoke Ethan," Sully said flatly. "Michaela's pregnant, and I don't want her or the baby getting hurt."

"Ya heard what that lady said," Kid Cole suggested.

"Who? Miss Olive?"

"Yeah," Kid Cole replied. "Ya know he wants those kids."

"I know," Sully replied. "But he ain't getting 'em." They continued along after Wolf, and it wasn't too long before storm clouds rolled in and rain began to pour down. Unfortunately, the rain had washed out the scent, and Wolf no longer knew where to go. He stood next to his master's horse.

"Great," Kid Cole said, shaking his head.

"At least we know they came through this way," Sully replied. He looked forward.

"Ya got any idea where he might have taken her?" Sully swallowed hard.

"There's a lot of old mines up there," he explained. "But the problem is that there are so many in so many different directions." Mud was beginning to form, and any tracks that might have been there for Sully and Kid Cole to follow would have been wiped out by now.

Sully shook his head, knowing that this wasn't hopeless, and that he was going to find his wife. He had to find her.

The rain soaked both Kid Cole and Sully from head to toe, but it didn't seem to phase either one of them. They had both been through much worse and much better, so no kind of weather seemed much of a surprise to them.

Wolf whined and looked up at Sully. He knew when his master was worried, and this was definitely one of those times. Sully cleared his throat and continued forward. Wolf followed loyally, and Kid Cole decided to continue on as well.

They were just rounding a curve when two more riders approached. Sully was extremely surprised to find Matthew and Brian.

"Pa!" Brian exclaimed. Sully couldn't believe they'd come all this way in the pouring rain.

"What are you two doin' here?" Sully wondered with a bit of anger in his voice.

"We decided that we had to come lookin' for ma. Besides, Miss Olive said he wanted us there anyway. It's for ma's own good that we're here." Sully and Kid Cole looked at one another.

"Your boy has a point."

"Ya gotta let us come with ya, pa," Brian begged. Sully sighed and wiped the raindrops off of his face.

"You know your ma is gonna have your hides for comin' out here. She'll probably have mine too for lettin' ya come along."

"So we can stay?" Matthew asked.

"Yeah," Sully replied. "But we gotta be careful."

"How are we gonna find her?" Brian wondered.

"Let's keep goin' up this direction," Kid Cole said with a nod. Sully led the way, while Kid Cole, Matthew, and Brian kept up with his pace, all hoping to find Michaela before Ethan did something stupid.

Ethan had tied Michaela's hands behind her back and bound her feet together tightly. He wanted to go out and answer the call of nature, but he couldn't risk her getting away. He had been gone for several minutes, and all Michaela could think about was how Ethan had just threatened her very life.

Michaela was beginning to feel nauseated, and she knew this couldn't be happening at a worse time. She had to keep herself calm and try to relax enough to make the feeling go away. Ethan Cooper wasn't in his right mind, and Michaela knew Sully would be able to find her easily. What she was worried about, however, was what might happen to Sully once he arrived.

Michaela heard the thunder rumbling, and as the mine grew darker, she could see the flashing of lightning outside bouncing off of the walls. The rain was pouring, she could tell, and the wind was beginning to pick up, creating an eerie sound as it whistled through the mine's shafts. The air inside was stale and made Michaela feel as if she was going to gag. The wind was only a small comfort, though it made her cold and feel as if she was all-alone in the world.

She began to shiver. Though it was June, the area could get quite chilly when storms passed through. Goosebumps began to form on her arms.

For a slight instance, Michaela hoped that Ethan had been knocked unconscious by a falling tree branch or something, anything that could get her out of his clutches. But being her luck, she'd be left all alone, tied up, with nobody around to save her.

She was beginning to grow increasingly worried, seeing as it was storming and the rain had surely washed out the tracks that could lead Sully to her. She knew he was looking for her, but it would be difficult with the storm in his way.

The scuffling of boots against the dirt floor of the mine startled Michaela. Ethan appeared, and Michaela hoped he would have at least brought back some wood for a fire, but seeing as it was pouring outside, any wood would be useless for firewood.

"Looks like we're gonna be stuck together 'til this storm passes. If Sully don't get here with my kids soon, I'm gonna have to take matters into my own hands." Michaela knew he meant to kill her, and when he pulled his gun from its holster again, she could only imagine what he was going to use it for.

He sat down with his back to her, and she searched around desperately, trying to find a way to untie herself. She had a sudden burst of energy, and felt that if she could free herself, she could sneak up behind Ethan and knock him out.

She looked into a dark corner and saw a piece of glass from a broken lantern sticking out of the dirt. She slowly and silently scooted over to take the piece of glass into her tied hands. She tried her hardest to cut the rope that bound her feet together, and once the rope had weakened and frayed, she was able to wriggle her feet out. Her hands were still bound, and blood was coating the piece of glass from a knick on her finger. She dropped the piece of glass, and Ethan glanced back at her. Her feet were hidden underneath her by now, and she kept her jaw set firm, not letting him see how scared she was becoming.

Ethan looked away, and Michaela slowly stood. She couldn't find the piece of glass again, so she figured she could use her tied hands to knock him over the head. She wasn't one for violence, but when her life and her child's depended on it, she had to do what she could to keep safe.

Michaela slowly but surely made her way up behind Ethan Cooper. She clasped her hands together so tightly that her knuckles turned a bright shade of white. She was about to swing at the back of his head, but her foot slipped and the scuffle was heard by her captor. Ethan stood up and pointed his gun right at Michaela's chest. He pushed it into her skin, forcing her to back up. Michaela gasped for breath and backed up, stumbling over a rock. Anger rose up inside of Ethan, and he pulled the gun back, and swung to hit her across the face with it. Michaela fell to the ground, hitting her knees, and she felt her cheek beginning to grow hot from the blood that was starting to pour out. She pressed her hand against her bruised cheek, and looked up at Ethan.

"I never woulda hurt a lady," he said, pulling her up by the arm to stand. But you've taken everything away from me." Ethan pulled her close, peering into her eyes. Michaela closed her eyes, but Ethan grabbed her by the throat. He brought the gun to trace along the neckline of her dress. "Before you leave this world, I'm gonna teach you a lesson." Ethan pushed Michaela back, and she stumbled onto the pile of old, stinking furs. He started to advance on her. Michaela knew what he had in mind. She began to scream as loud as she could.

"No! Please no! Please no!" When he began to get closer, Michaela began to strain herself to scream louder. "Someone help! Help!"

"What was that?!" Brian asked as the thunder rumbled. The horses had all stopped and were spooked by Michaela's screams. Sully knew exactly where she was now.

"Michaela!" he screamed out. He kicked his horse sharply, and it darted off toward the sounds. Wolf ran ahead, and the rest of the group followed Sully. Sully's heart was pounding in his chest, and he felt like it was about to burst. The terrified screams of his wife told him that Ethan was trying to hurt her.

The horse hooves pounded into the muddy earth as Sully, Brian, Matthew, and Kid Cole rode toward Michaela's screams. It took Sully no time at all to reach the mine. Ethan's horse stood outside in the pouring rain, and Sully knew that this was the end of the line. Michaela's screams were constant now, and Sully had no choice. He ran into the mind, screaming at Kid Cole to keep Matthew and Brian back for their own safety.

Sully spotted Ethan standing over Michaela, and he knew she couldn't see him. Her eyes were closed, and she had her arms held protectively over her stomach so Ethan couldn't harm her baby.

"Ethan!" Sully screamed. He jumped on the man's back, pulling his arm back until he heard it crack. He took the gun out of Ethan's hand, and threw it to the side. Ethan screamed in pain, and Michaela's eyes grew wide as she saw her husband fighting with her captor. Ethan gained a sudden burst of strength and pushed Sully off of him.

Despite Sully's warnings, Matthew rushed into the mine, and rushed over to his mother.

"Matthew, get her out of here!" Sully yelled as he delivered a punch to Ethan's jaw. Michaela stood and grabbed Matthew's hand. They rushed out of the mine, and when Brian saw his mother, he jumped off of his horse and went to embrace her.

"Oh Brian," she whispered.

"Ma, are you okay?"

"I'm fine now," she whispered. She looked up at the sky, thankful for the rain, thankful that she was able to feel it again. She had been so afraid that she'd never see the sky again. Brian looked up at Michaela and saw the blood seeping from the bruised cut on her cheek.

"Ma? What did he do to ya?" Michaela touched her cheek.

"It's over now," she answered. She swallowed hard and stood holding her son, waiting for her husband and son to return. Kid Cole got off of his horse and rushed in to help Sully and Matthew with the prisoner.

Sully and Kid Cole pinned Ethan Cooper to the ground. Kid Cole put cuffs on his arms, though one arm was broken and severely dislocated.

"If you're lucky, the doc might take care of that arm later, but I wouldn't count on it seein' as you nearly killed her," Kid Cole said flatly to his prisoner. Sully grabbed Ethan by the shirt collar and brought his face up close to his own.

"I would kill you, Ethan, but I don't wanna go through life with the blood of my kids' real pa on my hands. You deserve to rot in jail for what you've done." Sully turned to walk away, but Matthew grabbed Ethan's gun from its place on the ground. He pointed it at his father. Sully looked at him.

"What are you doin'?"

"I wanna kill him, pa," Matthew replied, tears in his eyes. "He nearly killed ma. I can't let 'im go back to prison knowin' he could escape again." Sully put his hand on Matthew's back.

"Killin' him ain't gonna fix anything, son," he whispered.

"He ain't your son!" Ethan screamed.

"I suggest shuttin' your mouth, mister," Kid Cole warned. Sully looked back at Matthew.

"You're getting married in a couple months, and you're goin' to college. Don't let Ethan ruin' that for you. He ain't worth it." Sully reached for the gun, but Matthew pushed him out of the way.

"I wouldn't do it, son," Kid Cole said quietly. "Yeah, I'm takin' him in, dead or alive, but I wouldn't wanna go 'round knowin' that my own family blood was on my hands."

"He left my real ma and didn't come back 'til she was nearly gone. He coulda killed my new ma. I can't let 'em get away with it!"

"He ain't gonna," Sully said quietly. "Who knows what they're gonna do with him once he gets back to Denver, but you shouldn't be the one to carry out the sentence. You got your whole life ahead of you, son. Don't carry the burden of his dead around with ya the rest of your life." Matthew threw the gun down and stared into Ethan's eyes. He hauled back and hit him hard across the face.

"You deserve worse than death," he spat. He stalked out of the mine, wishing he never had to see Ethan's face again.

The storm was subsiding, and those waiting on news of Loren's condition were crowded on the porch of the clinic. Grace and Robert E. were trying to calm down the crying twin boys, but it was obvious that they wanted their mother.

After two hours of surgery, the door opened, and Colleen walked out with Jake right behind her. This was Collen's first true surgery, and she was proud of the results.

Olive and Dorothy both stood up, needing an answer about Loren's condition.

"He pulled through," Colleen said with a smile. "He's restin' upstairs. I got the bullet out, and there wasn't a lot of bleedin'."

"Oh thank the Lord," Dorothy exclaimed in a whisper.

"Can we go see him?" Olive asked.

"Go on," Jake said with a nod. "Don't worry 'bout Loren. Colleen did a good job sewin' him up." Olive and Dorothy hurried up to see Loren, and the rest of the folks hurried over to congratulate Colleen on her first surgery.

Just as the crowd was beginning to break up, four horses rode into town. Kid Cole took the lead with Ethan Cooper slung over the back of his horse. Matthew and Brian were riding right behind him. Sully stayed at the back, riding at a slower pace with Michaela in front of him on the horse. He wanted to take it slow for Michaela's sake and their baby's.

"Ma!" Colleen exclaimed. Colleen rushed down the muddy street to greet her family. Kid Cole kept on riding toward the jail, knowing that nobody really wanted to deal with Ethan right now. Brian and Matthew dismounted their horses first. Colleen rushed to hug them, not even having known they'd gone out to find their mother. She was just glad to see that they were alright. Sully helped Michaela down and Colleen rushed to hug her.

"Ma! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Michaela replied. "Just a bit sore."

"Come to the clinic and I'll help you clean that scrape on your face." Michaela nodded. She reached out to Sully, needing him to take her hand. She didn't want to be apart from him right now. The Sully family walked over to the clinic, and Brian took his twin brothers inside, relieving Grace and Robert E. of their baby-sitting duties.

Michaela sat upon the freshly cleaned examining table as Colleen prepared the solutions to cleanse Michaela's bruise and scratch. Sully took both Connor and Daniel into his arms and stood at his wife's side. Brian and Matthew stood back, relieved that everything was fine.

"You think the baby's okay?" Colleen wondered as she cared for Michaela's injuries with great tenderness.

"Yes," Michaela replied. "I'm fine and so is the baby. I'm just a bit shaken up."

"You sure?" Sully wondered. Michaela gave him a brave smile.

"Of course," she replied. "I'm just glad it's all over with." She suddenly remembered something. "Oh! What about Loren?"

"I took care of it," Colleen said, blushing a bit. "Jake helped me, and it took a couple hours, but I got the bullet out and got him sewn up. He's restin' upstairs." Michaela's eyes went wide.

"Your first hands on surgery by yourself?"

"Yep," Colleen replied happily. "And he's doin' fine."  
"Thank God," Michaela replied. Once her wound was cleansed, Michaela took her twin boys into her arms.

"My boys," she whispered. Tears began to flow, and Sully put his arm around his wife. "I'm so glad all of you are safe."

"We were more worried about you," Brian replied honestly.

"That's right," Sully replied. "And now, we're goin' home so you can rest."

"I should check on Loren." Sully nodded in understanding.

"After that, I want you to rest at home, alright?" Michaela nodded slowly and Sully leaned in to press a kiss to her forehead. Michaela took a good look at her beautiful family, thanking God silently that everything was fine, and she started up the sitars to check on her daughter's patient.

Horace was just closing up for lunch, but he'd received a large envelope in the mail addressed to Grace and Robert E. He figured it was something important, judging by the weight and size of this.

Grace was busy serving lunch, so Horace figured he would deliver the package to Robert E. on his way to the café.

"Mary!" he called. Mary ran over from the mercantile, where she had been working for free candy. "Time for lunch."

"Okay pa," she replied.

"You run on ahead to the café. I gotta stop by the livery real quick."

"Okay." Mary ran along, and Horace made his way over to see Robert E.

"Robert E.!" Horace called out as he jogged over. Robert E. stuck his newly finished horseshoe in the cooling vat and turned to see Horace.

"What can I do for ya?" Robert E. asked.

"Package just come for you and Grace." Horace handed it to him. "Hope it's good news." He started off toward the café. Robert E. opened up the envelope, praying for good news. He and Grace had finally come up with the courage to try to adopt Anthony. He hoped this was the news they'd been waiting for.

He rushed off toward Grace's, not wanting to know without her knowing too. When he found her stirring stew upon the stove at the café, he rushed up behind her.

"Grace!" She jumped about a foot off of the ground.

"Robert E.! What on earth?! You scared me half to death!" Robert E. held the envelope up in front of his wife. Anthony walked over.

"What's goin' on?"

"Grace, you do the honors," Robert E. replied.

"Is that what I think it is?" she asked, wide eyed.

"I hope so," Robert E. replied with a smile. Grace pulled the papers out of the envelope, and immediately began to cry.

"What is it?" Anthony wondered excitedly.

"Adoption papers," Grace breathed.

"Ya mean . . ."

"We're gonna be a true family," Robert E. said, breathing a sigh of relief. He picked Anthony up. "Would ya like that?"

"Yeah!" the boy exclaimed. Grace quickly served meals to those waiting for lunch before she closed up and celebrated with her family. All three of them were thankful and happy that God had answered their prayers.

A little over a week later, Colleen was riding around the lot around the homestead on her brand new birthday present. On this day, her fourteenth birthday, she had received a horse, whom she lovingly called Shakespeare. Michaela had to grin when her daughter explained her reasoning behind the name. Colleen had a passion for reading Shakespeare's works. She had decorated the horse's bridle with daisies, and was proudly showing off her riding skills.

Michaela, whose bruise was nearly invisible, was sitting upon the porch with both Connor and Daniel in her arms. Sully was standing around, just in case Colleen might need assistance. But so far, she was doing a beautiful job. Matthew and Brian were both upon their horses, following their sister around protectively.

Everything was beginning to return to normal around town, and all was quiet. Matthew and Ingrid were anxiously planning their wedding, which would take place a little over a month after Matthew's seventeenth birthday. Michaela had accepted the fact that her son was in love and wanting to get married, bring his wife to Denver, and support her while he was in college. Michaela knew it would be tough for him, but she and Sully were willing to help them out if they needed it.

Ethan had been sent back to Denver, and Michaela, though she felt obligated to examine his broken arm, wired for a doctor in Denver to meet Kid Cole and Ethan when they arrived. Kid Cole was due to arrive back in Colorado Springs, and everyone only hoped he would stick around and take the position of sheriff in their small town. With the train coming through in the next few months, nobody could be sure what kind of trouble it might bring along with it.

"Give her a little kick, Colleen!" Matthew shouted as his sister tried to get used to her new horse. He was large and brown with white spots along his backside. He was beautiful, and Colleen already loved him.

Michaela sat back, admiring her family and looking forward to the future. A lot of changes would be coming very soon. The railroad was on its way, Matthew was getting married and going off to college soon, and a new baby would be here before the new year.

Matthew, Colleen, and Brian disappeared behind the barn, and Sully came over to sit beside his wife.

"How are ya feelin'?"

"Do you realize that you've asked me that sixteen and a half times this morning? You tried ten minutes ago, but I cut you off in mid-sentence." She grinned at him and he chuckled briefly.

"You're keepin' count?"

"What if I am?" she wondered. She leaned her head on his shoulder, and he leaned his head against hers, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Papa!" Connor called, holding his arms out to his dad. Sully pulled the boy into his lap and tickled his belly. Connor began to laugh, and Michaela's heart melted at that little sound. Sully's heart skipped a beat at the beautiful look on Michaela's face. She looked so incredibly happy, and he knew that life was going to get even better very soon.

He reached out, putting his hand upon her belly. Michaela's hand moved to lay upon his. The boys crawled out of their parents' laps, and moved to play on the porch. The sounds of Matthew, Colleen, and Brian's laughter was music to their parents' ears.

"Before we know it, we'll be teachin' these two to ride," Sully said thoughtfully.

"Oh, don't talk like that," Michaela said quickly, feeling a bit emotional. "I want to hold onto these little ones for as long as I can."

"They grow up too fast," Sully said with a nod.

"I wish I could freeze this afternoon and keep it forever. Everything is so perfect," she whispered. "We're both here together, and all of our children are happy. Our new baby is safe inside of me, and it'll be here half of a year."

"It's all changin' for the better."

"Even the railroad?" Michaela wondered, knowing her husband's viewpoint on the subject.

"Well, I guess I'm startin' to think like you. Sure, it ain't gonna benefit the Cheyenne, but it's gonna keep us connected with our family. With your sisters in Boston and Matthew and Ingrid in Denver, we're gonna need a quick way to get to each other." Michaela nodded and yawned a little. "You should get some rest."

"That's what I've been doing for a week," Michaela laughed. "I'm fine."

"More rest ain't gonna hurt ya."

"No, but I'd rather not sleep if I can enjoy today."

"Mama!" Daniel called out. Michaela grinned and waved to her little boy. He grinned at her, two bottom teeth showing.

Wolf and Pup came running out of the barn, chasing one another. Sully laughed as Wolf practically did a somersault trying to dodge his younger companion. It was true. Everything was returning to normal. Overall, mostly everyone was happy. Even usually grumpy Loren Bray was upbeat after having survived a potentially deadly bullet in his stomach.

The overall happiness of the citizens of Colorado Springs seemed to be an unbound feeling, one that seemed to spread and prosper. It was obvious that this feeling wouldn't always be there, but it was nice to have hope that it was all going to be alright.

Shakespeare came galloping around to the front of the homestead. Brian and Matthew's horses caught up, and their riders were all breathless and laughing.

"See, I told ya my horse was faster. Shakespeare could beat Taffy and your horse, Matthew."

"Yeah, well, I s'pose he won this time," Matthew replied, rolling his eyes.

"I want a rematch!" Brian insisted.

"Can we, ma?" Colleen wondered, looking at her parents. "We'll just go to the creek and back." Michaela scanned the happy faces of her three oldest children. She couldn't refuse them, because soon, they would be separated when Matthew would marry and go to college. She knew they needed to embrace the rest of their childhoods while they could, because, like Sully said, they were growing up.

"Be careful," Michaela replied with a nod. The children all started off in a race toward the nearest creek, and Michaela and Sully watched them disappear into the woods. Michaela couldn't help but thank God every day for the blessings he'd given her. If it wasn't for her husband, she wouldn't be sitting with him today with their children. She'd be dead and possibly alone in an abandoned mine. But that was the past, and the future was just visible on the horizon. Michaela and Sully knew they had many more miracles to look forward to in the future, but for now, they were going to focus on the ones they had now. They had a wonderful family, jobs they both enjoyed, and friends they knew they could always count on. To them, miracles truly were limitless.

THE END

Look for the sequel "Eternal Changes"coming soon!


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